Turkey convicts Swedish journalist of insulting Erdogan with terror trial next
Joakim Medin will remain behind bars awaiting prosecution on terror-related charges that press freedom groups say aim to silence the free press.
ANKARA — An Ankara court on Wednesday convicted Swedish journalist Joakim Medin of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following his detention amid protests against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu last month.
Police detained Medin on March 27 upon his arrival in Istanbul along with a group of foreign journalists traveling to the city to cover mass protests triggered by the detention of Imamoglu on March 19.
Turkish prosecutors later charged him with insulting the president and alleged terrorism offenses in two separate indictments over the journalist’s coverage of pro-Kurdish and anti-Turkish government rallies held in Sweden in 2023. The Nordic country hosts an estimated 150,000 members of the Kurdish diaspora.
In the hearing held Tuesday, Medin was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison for insulting the president. The court ruled for his release, as jail sentences under two years are typically not served in Turkey. However, Medin will remain in jail awaiting trial on terrorism-related charges.
