Journalist from Sweden Discovers Guilt for Alleged Offensive Remarks Against Erdogan - Journalist in Sweden Found Guilty of Allegedly Disrespecting Erdogan
In a dramatic turn of events, Swedish journalist Joakim Medin found himself in hot water after being accused of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Despite the judge's call for his release following the verdict, Medin remains in custody due to ongoing terrorism charges. As of now, a trial date for this case has yet to be set.
The supposed offence stems from Medin's involvement in a demonstration by the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Stockholm in January 2023. Protesters allegedly hung an Erdogan puppet and adorned it with an LGBTQ flag. When the same puppet appeared on a Kurdish activist's float at the Stockholm Pride parade, Turkish authorities accused Medin of participating.
During the trial, Medin stated that he was working in Germany at the time of the demonstration, as opposed to Sweden. Furthermore, he asserted that he wasn't responsible for the images used in the articles he wrote about Sweden's temporarily blocked NATO membership bid.
Outside the court in Ankara, Swedish MEP Jonas Sjöstedt, expressed his conviction of Medin's innocence, stating, "All he did was work as a journalist." Turkey ranks surprisingly low at 158th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index.
It's important to note that the detention of Joakim Medin calls back to the case of German journalist Deniz Yücel, who encountered similar issues back in 2017 while working as a correspondent for the "Welt". Yücel was eventually convicted in absentia for terror propaganda after returning to Germany in 2020.
Tensions between Turkey and Sweden have been running high lately due to Turkey's blocking of Sweden's planned 2024 accession to NATO. In recent years, Turkey has demonstrated a pattern of targeting foreign journalists reporting on Kurdish issues with prosecutions and anti-terror charges.
Joakim MedinRecep Tayyip ErdoganTurkeyAnkaraStockholmMass protestSwedenGermanyKurdistan Workers' PartyPKK
Timeline of Turkish President Insult Cases
In Turkey, Article 299 criminalizes insulting the president, a charge frequently leveled against journalists.
Recent Case: Joakim Medin (2025)
- March 27, 2025: Medin detained at Istanbul airport while covering nationwide protests triggered by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest [1][2].
- March 28, 2025: Formally jailed on dual charges – insulting Erdogan and PKK membership [1][2].
- April 30, 2025: Receives an 11-month suspended sentence for Erdogan insult charges, but remains incarcerated pending separate terrorism trial (potential 9-year sentence) [1][2].Charge basis: Alleged involvement in a January 2023 Stockholm protest featuring an Erdogan effigy [1][2].
Deniz Yücel Case (2017-2018)
- February 2017: German-Turkish journalist detained for alleged terrorism propaganda after reporting on a leaked government email [^general].
- February 2018: Released after nearly 1 year without formal indictment, though charges weren't fully dropped [^general].
- Key difference: Yücel avoided conviction for insult charges but faced prolonged pretrial detention under anti-terror laws.
Broader Context
Turkey places a significant emphasis on criminalizing insults against the president, using Article 299 to frequently prosecute journalists.
- Penalties: Up to 4 years imprisonment, with sentences often compounded using anti-terror laws [^general].
- RSF ranking: Turkey ranked 158th in 2025 press freedom index, with prosecutors targeting foreign journalists covering Kurdish issues [3].
- Legal pattern: Charges frequently stem from reporting on protests or referencing PKK-linked events, as seen in Medin’s case [1][3].Disclaimer: This timeline combines current reports with widely documented prior cases. Specifics about other convictions would require additional case-specific data.
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a regulation on the protection of the environment, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's politics continue to attract general-news attention due to controversies such as the detention of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin in Ankara. Medin, who recently faced terrorism charges for allegedly insulting Erdogan, was reportedly involved in a mass protest in Stockholm in January 2023, where an effigy of Erdogan was displayed. Previously, in 2017, German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel encountered similar issues while working as a correspondent, being charged with terror propaganda and eventually receiving a conviction in absentia after returning to Germany in 2020. Tensions between Turkey and Sweden have escalated due to Turkey's blocking of Sweden's planned 2024 accession to NATO, with Turkey demonstrating a pattern of targeting foreign journalists reporting on Kurdish issues with prosecutions and anti-terror charges. The Swedish MEP Jonas Sjöstedt has expressed his conviction of Medin's innocence, stating, "All he did was work as a journalist." Turkey ranks surprisingly low at 158th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index.
