Caught at the airport
40-year-old Joakim Medin traveled to Istanbul on March 27 on assignment for Dagens ETC, to report on the protests that had erupted since Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested. Medin, who has visited Turkey as a journalist several times, was caught directly at the airport.
It later emerged that Medin was suspected of being a member of the Kurdish PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization, and of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Shortly after the arrest, he was transferred to the high-security prison Marmara in Istanbul, where many of Turkey's political prisoners are held or have been held.
.
Highest priority
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) clarified early on that the case had "highest priority" at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) stated that they were working "intensively" on the issue.
It's not the one who shouts the loudest who is most successful. This is very difficult, other countries have also experienced it, said Kristersson to TT in a first comment a few days after the arrest.
.
Charged
Despite the intensive diplomatic efforts that were said to be ongoing in silence – and which included, among other things, meetings between Malmer Stenergard and Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan – charges were brought against him on April 23. The journalist was accused of participating in a terrorist organization, spreading terrorist propaganda, and insulting the president.
The charges revealed that the evidence against Medin was his own journalism. It referred, among other things, to a book he had written about Kurds in Syria, as well as three news articles published in Dagens ETC in 2023. Posts and shares on social media of the articles were used as evidence.
.
Convicted
A week later, the trial on the charge of insulting the president was held in a court in Ankara. Joakim Medin participated via link from the prison. He denied the crime and explained that he had only engaged in journalistic reporting.
After a short pause, the judge announced that Medin was sentenced to a conditional sentence of 11 months and 7 days.
.
Released
The Swede was suddenly released from prison and allowed to return to Sweden on May 16. Medin landed at Arlanda just after midnight on May 17. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced the release in a post on X, and referred to silent diplomacy and help from European colleagues.
Although Medin has been released, the charges of terrorist crimes remain and will be tried in his absence in Turkey, according to Dagens ETC.
