Joakim Medin, a Swedish journalist who had been imprisoned in Turkey since March on charges of terrorism and insulting the president, is now on his way home, according to an announcement made by the Prime Minister of Sweden on Friday.
“Hard work in relative silence has paid off,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on X, adding that Medin was expected to land in Sweden within a few hours. Kristersson also expressed his gratitude to the foreign office and European colleagues for their help in securing Medin’s release.
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Medin was in Turkey to cover protests related to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. He faced charges of “insulting the president” and “membership of a terrorist organization” and was jailed pending trial.
Turkish authorities claimed that Medin was among 15 suspects identified as being involved in organizing, promoting, or having links to a demonstration in Stockholm in 2023. During that demonstration, a mannequin resembling President Tayyip Erdogan was hung outside the city hall.