Swedish journalist Joakim Medin faces up to 12 years in prison in Turkey for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and being linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Medin, who works for the Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, was arrested in March after arriving in Istanbul to cover protests sparked by the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu. The protests against the Erdoğan government were a focus of Medin’s reporting.
The charges against Medin relate to his coverage of the protests. The Turkish authorities accuse him of insulting the president and suspect him of links to the PKK, although no concrete evidence has been presented. Dagens ETC has condemned the charges, claiming that Medin was simply fulfilling his journalistic duties.
In response to the arrest, the Swedish government has raised concerns with the Turkish authorities and requested consular access to Medin. The case is seen as part of a wider repression of journalists in Turkey.
Medin’s trial is scheduled for 30 April, and supporters are calling for his release, arguing that his imprisonment is a violation of press freedom.
