Swedish journalist charged with terrorism in Turkey. Stockholm responds
Protests in Turkey (Illustrative photo: Necati Savas/EPA)
Swedish journalist Kai Joakim Medin, who was in Turkey to report on protests, has been arrested on charges of terrorism, as reported by Reuters, citing Turkish prosecutors. Sweden has requested an explanation from the Turkish ambassador regarding the detention of its national.
Reports indicate that the journalist was apprehended in Istanbul as part of an inquiry initiated following a demonstration in Stockholm in January 2023, during which a dummy resembling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was displayed near the city hall.
Prosecutors assert that Medin was among 15 individuals identified as organizers, propagandists, or those connected to the incident. The journalist faces accusations of “insulting the president” and “affiliation with a terrorist organization.”
Medin’s employer, the Dagens ETC newspaper, has voiced concerns about his well-being after he was unreachable for two days.
Dagens ETC’s editor-in-chief, Andreas Gustavsson, informed Sweden’s TV4 that Medin has committed no wrongdoing and is merely being punished for fulfilling his role as a journalist.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard remarked to broadcaster SVT that the journalist is receiving assistance from the foreign ministry.
“We have reached out to the Turkish ambassador in Sweden to clarify the allegations against Medina and to request immediate consular access,” she stated.
The minister emphasized that the journalist is receiving consular support and is in communication with the Consulate General in Istanbul.
- On March 19, 2025, Turkish prosecutors detained Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Erdogan, on allegations of corruption and supporting terrorism.
- This led to widespread protests across Turkey, with thousands taking to the streets.
- The Istanbul mayor was taken into custody on March 23, along with 19 of his supporters.
- On March 24, the arrested mayor was nominated as a candidate for the presidency of Turkey.
- The European Union condemned the arrests of opposition figures and demonstrators in Turkey.
