Swedish journalist Medin cleared of insulting president, held on terror charges
Kaj Joakim Medin joachim was arrested in Istanbul on March 27 upon his arrival to Istanbul, Türkiye., accessed on March 29, 2025. (Photo viaBBC)
Swedish journalist Joakim Medin will remain in Istanbul’s Silivri prison despite a court decision Wednesday to suspend his 11-month sentence for “insulting the president,” as he faces additional terrorism-related charges.
Medin, a foreign correspondent for the Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, appeared via video link from Silivri Prison at the 79th Criminal Court of First Instance in Ankara, where the judge ordered his release on the insult charge but he remains detained on allegations of belonging to a terror organization.
The journalist, who has been held for over a month since his March 27 arrest at Istanbul Airport, now awaits a second trial with no date yet set for the terrorism-related hearing.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, prosecutors had argued that Medin insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in social media posts and articles written during Sweden’s NATO accession process. The court convicted him but suspended the announcement of the verdict.
Representatives from the European Parliament, Swedish Parliament, and the Swedish Ambassador to Turkey Malena Mard attended the hearing, along with observers from Reporters Without Borders and local press organizations.
