THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
Freedom of speech has no borders. When a journalist is thrown behind bars simply for doing his job, it is a blow to the entire democratic community. For the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), protecting colleagues in captivity is not just a task but a principle. We do not ignore the fate of 31 Ukrainian journalists held by russia. At the same time, we raise our voices in support of Swedish reporter Joakim Medin, illegally imprisoned in Turkiye.
Joakim Medin, a special correspondent for the Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, is being held in the high-security Marmara prison in Istanbul. The journalist is due to appear in court on April 30. He faces more than 27 years in prison.
The Swedish journalist was arrested on March 27 immediately after arriving at Istanbul airport, where he was heading to cover pro-democracy protests following the arrest of the city’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. Medin is accused of “insulting the president” of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “belonging to an armed terrorist organization” and “spreading terrorist propaganda.”
In particular, Turkish prosecutors have opened an investigation against Joakim Medin over his presence at a demonstration in Stockholm in January 2023. During that event, an Erdoğan doll was hung by its legs. It is believed that the journalist was allegedly among 15 suspects who held, organized, or promoted the demonstration.
Dagens ETC Editor-in-chief Andreas Gustavsson, for which Joakim Medin works as a reporter, called the charges absurd. “I can only repeat that he is a journalist who has done journalism,” Gustavsson said in a comment to AFP.
Later, commenting on the addition of terrorism charges to the original charge of insulting the president, Gustavsson stressed, “Joakim is not a criminal, definitely not some kind of terrorist.” Gustavsson argued that Turkiye was “trying to claim that all the journalistic work that Joakim Medin has produced about Turkiye is terrorism.” “This is, of course, an absurd accusation.”
Joakim Medin‘s latest book, The Kurd Trace, analyzes political processes in Turkiye against the backdrop of Sweden’s accession to NATO. Medina‘s publications caused a wide resonance, and this was, according to human rights activists, the reason for his persecution. In a letter from prison, the journalist wrote: “I’m still hopeful that this can be resolved quickly. I still want to believe that the pen is mightier than the sword.”
Joakim Medin‘s case has caused significant reaction and support from the international community. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the Turkish authorities to release the journalist and stop the persecution of media workers.
“The article of law that criminalizes ‘insulting the President’ disregards international human rights standards and has led to the arrest and prosecution of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin — and many other journalists from Turkiye. We call on the authorities to free Medin, who has been arbitrarily detained for a month, and all the journalists unjustly held behind bars,” said Erol Onderoglu, RSF Representative in Turkiye.
The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium also joined in the support, strongly condemning the decision to charge Joakim Medin with terrorism-related charges in addition to the insult charges that initially justified his arrest.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said she had raised the issue of Joakim Medin‘s arrest with her Turkish counterpart and called for the journalist to be allowed to return home.
Joakim Medin is a journalist, author, lecturer, and photographer who lives and works in Sweden. He was originally a high school teacher. He got his first job as a journalist during the coup in Honduras in 2009. He has a deep interest in investigative journalism and foreign reporting.
According to colleagues, “He’s like a badger — he bites down and doesn’t let go,” says Martin Schibbye, the founder of the who has also been imprisoned for his reporting. “Joakim is incredibly tenacious, deeply committed to journalism and to telling the stories that matter. And he has paid a price for that determination — continuing to report even when it became difficult or dangerous.”
Joakim Medin‘s case is particularly disturbing because his “crime” is that he was carrying out his professional duties – covering events and giving a voice to those who do not have one. Joakim Medin‘s lawyer, MLSA co-director Veisel Ok, emphasizes that there is no concrete evidence against the journalist other than his legitimate journalistic activities. The evidence cited against Joakim Medin consists mainly of his journalistic work, including social media posts, published articles, and books.
The case takes on a particularly poignant personal dimension as Joakim Medin‘s wife, Sofie Axelsson, who works for the same newspaper, Dagens ETC, is expecting their first child, a daughter.
“Of course I’m worried,” says Sofie. “But I haven’t allowed myself to think that far ahead yet. I’m trying to live day by day.”
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has called for Joakim Medin to be fully exonerated. It is calling on journalistic organizations across Europe to speak out publicly in support of his colleague.
“We know from the letter Joakim Medin wrote two weeks ago that he is aware of the scale of the international attention his case is receiving. Let’s spread the word. Journalism is not a crime,” the EFJ said in a statement.
The NUJU joins the international campaign in support of Joakim Medin and calls on the Turkish authorities to immediately release the Swedish journalist.
We call on colleagues around the world to cover this case and support the imprisoned journalist.
We demand an end to the criminalization of journalism under anti-terrorism laws and an end to the suppression of press freedom and the persecution of journalists.
We want to remind you that the first hearing in the case of Joakim Medin on the charge of “insulting the president” is scheduled for April 30 at the Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance. The trial date for the terrorism charges has not yet been set.
NUJU Information Service
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