Joakim Medin is accused of terrorist crimes related to his association with the PKK, linked to his journalistic work. After the trial was postponed three times earlier, the court in Istanbul had announced that it would be held on Thursday. Immediately after the hearing began, the court was instead informed that it would be postponed again, to January 5, 2027, due to "lack of legal assistance".
When the trial was last postponed, in May of this year, it was justified by the Swedish government's refusal to allow Medin to be heard via link from Sweden. According to the court, this made it impossible to reach a verdict. There has been no new information from Sweden since then.
Violations of legal principles
The government says no to the request because the Turkish legal process is not compatible with Swedish law.
It would be contrary to Swedish general legal principles to contribute to a process that could restrict freedom of expression and free and unfettered journalism, said Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) in connection with the decision.
Following remotely
Joakim Medin himself is following the trial remotely from Sweden. Several representatives from Sweden are, however, on site to monitor the hearing, including James Savage, chairman of Utgivarna and Sveriges Tidskrifter, and Victoria da Silva, international secretary of the Swedish Journalists' Association. The Left Party's MEP Jonas Sjöstedt is also in Istanbul.
The Deputy Consul General for Sweden in Turkey is also on site, according to Dagens ETC.
Medin was arrested during a reporting trip to Turkey in 2025 and released after 51 days in prison. He is charged with participating in a terrorist organization and spreading terrorist propaganda. The exact nature of the charges is unclear.
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