Comedian Jan Boehmermann | Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Court upholds ban on anti-Erdoğan poem Comedian’s poem contains ‘abusive and defamatory’ verses, court says.

A German court on Friday upheld an earlier ruling which bans German comedian Jan Böhmermann from reciting parts of a poem making fun of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, local media reported.

The court in Hamburg ruled in May that re-publication of 18 "abusive and defamatory" verses in the 24-verse poem was not allowed and said the sexual references directed at the Turkish president were unacceptable.

Böhmermann called Erdoğan a “pervert,” a “zoophile” and a “goat-f—-er” in a poem, which he read out during a show by German public broadcaster ZDF, after which Turkey asked Germany to file criminal charges against the comedian.

Friday's ruling said that "artistic freedom is unconditional but not unbounded." But it added that a head of state "must accept heavy criticism, as freedom of expression arises from the special need to criticize power."

Lawyers for Böhmermann and Erdogan can appeal the decision, and according to the media reports they intend to do so.

Chancellor Angela Merkel had been widely criticized for allowing investigators to pursue the case against the comedian.