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April 30, 2025 – Sweden/Turkey –
Swedish journalist Joakim Medin was sentenced to an 11-month suspended prison term by a Turkish court on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Medin, who works for the Swedish outlet Dagens ETC, was arrested on March 27, 2025, upon arriving in Istanbul to report on protests related to the arrest of Turkish opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The charges against him stem from a 2023 protest in Stockholm, where an effigy of Erdoğan was displayed. Medin denies having participated in the protest, claiming he was in Germany at the time.
The case against Medin is seen by many as politically motivated and part of a broader pattern of media suppression in Turkey, where journalists critical of the government face harassment, legal action, and imprisonment. Medin’s arrest has drawn significant international attention, with human rights organizations and press freedom advocates condemning the use of legal measures to stifle dissenting voices in the media.
While the court’s sentence was suspended, meaning Medin will not serve jail time unless he commits another offense within the next five years, he remains in custody as he faces additional charges related to terrorism. The terrorism-related charges could lead to a prison sentence of up to nine years, and they are widely believed to be linked to Medin’s work as a journalist.
Press freedom in Turkey has been under increasing threat in recent years, with numerous journalists facing detention and prosecution for their reporting. Turkey has one of the highest numbers of imprisoned journalists in the world, and the government has faced widespread criticism for its crackdown on the media and its efforts to silence opposition voices.
Medin’s case underscores the growing risks faced by journalists in Turkey and highlights the ongoing struggles for press freedom in the country. As the legal proceedings continue, international calls for Medin’s release and a halt to the targeting of journalists in Turkey are intensifying.
Reference –
https://www.occrp.org/en/news/swedish-journalist-sentenced-in-turkey-held-on-terror-allegations
