A Swedish journalist detained in Turkey on charges including “terrorism” is facing “absurd” allegations, according to Andreas Gustavsson, editor-in-chief of the Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC.
“These accusations are absurd. He is a journalist, nothing more. Practising journalism should not be a crime. Facts are not an insult,” Gustavsson stated in a written message.
Efforts are underway to secure Joakim Medin’s release and return to his family and colleagues at Dagens ETC, Gustavsson added.
Turkish authorities accuse Medin of “terrorism” and “insulting the president,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
They specifically condemn his participation in a Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) protest in Stockholm in January 2023, during which a puppet representing the Turkish president was mocked.
Medin was arrested last Thursday in Istanbul while covering protests sparked by the detention of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, and was incarcerated the following day.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenegard confirmed on Friday that she is aware of Medin’s arrest and takes the situation “very seriously.”
