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April 13, 2025 – Soweden/Turkey –
Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, renowned for covering global conflict zones and human rights issues, now finds himself the subject of the very injustices he has long reported on. Detained by Turkish authorities in late March 2025 upon arriving in Istanbul, Medin’s arrest sparked widespread concern across Europe and the journalistic community.
Turkish prosecutors accuse Medin of “insulting the president” and “being a member of a terrorist organization,” linking him to a controversial 2023 protest in Sweden where an effigy of President Erdoğan was burned. Medin has firmly denied involvement, citing that he was in Germany at the time and had no knowledge of the event. Regardless, Turkish courts have already convicted him on the lesser charge of insulting the president, handing down an 11-month suspended sentence. He now remains in Marmara Prison, awaiting trial on the more severe terrorism-related accusations, which could carry a nine-year sentence.
Despite his confinement, Medin has managed to send a handwritten letter that radiates calm resistance. In it, he expresses deep gratitude for international support and maintains his innocence, stating, “I have done nothing but journalism. It’s not something that I should be in prison for—not in Turkey or in any country.”
His situation has prompted a strong response from the Swedish government, which continues to demand fair treatment and his immediate release. Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard has personally raised the issue with Turkish counterparts. Human rights organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, have condemned Medin’s detention as emblematic of Turkey’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom and dissenting voices.
Joakim Medin’s case is not isolated. It is a powerful symbol of the risks journalists face when reporting the truth in repressive environments. His calm defiance, even behind bars, reminds the world of the courage journalism demands. For now, he waits—unjustly imprisoned, but not silenced. And outside those prison walls, the call for his freedom grows louder.
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