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April 09, 2025 – Sweden/Turkey –
In April 2025, Turkish courts upheld the pretrial detention of two journalists—Swedish reporter Kaj Joakim Medin and Turkish broadcaster Sedef Kabaş—fueling renewed concerns about press freedom in the country. Both journalists were charged under Turkey’s controversial laws on “insulting the president,” which critics say are increasingly used to stifle dissent.
Kaj Joakim Medin was arrested on March 27, 2025, after landing in Istanbul to report on large-scale protests triggered by the detention of opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Turkish authorities accused Medin of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and being linked to a terrorist group, citing his past reporting on anti-Erdoğan protests in Stockholm, including an incident involving the hanging of an effigy of the president. On April 9, a Turkish court rejected an appeal against his detention, arguing that there was strong suspicion of criminal activity and risk of evidence tampering. Though Medin later received a suspended 11-month prison sentence for the insult charge, he remained in custody pending investigation into the terrorism allegations.
Similarly, Turkish journalist Sedef Kabaş was denied release after an appeal against her 2022 arrest was dismissed by the İstanbul 58th Criminal Court of First Instance. Kabaş had been taken into custody after citing a proverb on television and social media that authorities interpreted as critical of Erdoğan. The court maintained that her arrest was legally and procedurally sound, despite international outcry and calls for her release by press freedom organizations.
Both cases have become emblematic of what watchdog groups describe as the erosion of journalistic freedom in Turkey. Legal experts and human rights advocates argue that the frequent use of the presidential insult law, combined with vague anti-terrorism statutes, creates a climate of fear and censorship for journalists and critics alike.
As Medin remains in custody and Kabaş continues to face legal consequences, their situations underscore the growing challenges faced by both foreign and domestic journalists operating in Turkey’s increasingly restrictive media environment.
Reference –
https://bianet.org/haber/appeal-against-journalist-sedef-kabas-s-arrest-rejected-by-court-256809
