Swedish Journalist Joakim Medin Released from Turkish Prison After Insulting Erdogan
A Swedish journalist arrested in Turkey for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been released and is en route back to Sweden, according to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Joakim Medin, a reporter for the Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, was detained upon his arrival in Istanbul on March 27. He had traveled to cover protests sparked by the arrest of Istanbul's popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on March 19. On April 30, Medin received an 11-month suspended jail sentence for the insults aimed at Erdogan; however, he remained imprisoned while awaiting trial for allegedly belonging to a terror organization. Medin denies involvement, arguing against accusations related to a protest in Stockholm by the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) in January 2023. Prime Minister Kristersson expressed gratitude towards the foreign ministry staff, including Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, for their extensive efforts in securing Medin's release. The journalist is expected to land in Stockholm shortly.
Related Sources: