Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, a regular contributor to the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens ETC and member of the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJF), is facing up to 12 years in prison in Turkey for allegedly ‘insulting the President’ and belonging to “a terrorist organisation’. The EFJ condemned these unfounded accusations, which are used as a recurring tactic to criminalise journalistic activities. The first hearing will take place on 30 April in Ankara.
Joakim was detained on 27 March 2025, shortly after landing in Istanbul to cover the widespread protests against the recent arrest of Istanbul Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Medin’s only ‘crime’ is to have published reports on Turkey, a country he has visited multiple times. His latest book, “The Kurd Trace”, examines Turkey in relation to Sweden’s NATO application. The prosecution stems directly from his journalistic activities.
On 12 April, Joakim sent the following message from his prison cell: “I’m still hopeful that this can be resolved quickly. I still want to believe that the pen is mightier than the sword.”
European journalists are joining forces today to demand Joakim’s acquittal, sending a clear message that journalism cannot be repressed.
We stand by Joakim and all imprisoned journalists in Turkey. Journalism is not a crime.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) strongly condemns the arrest of Swedish journalist Joakim Medina in Turkey and calls for his immediate release, because the criminalization of journalistic work is an unacceptable attack on freedom of expression and fundamental democratic values.
