Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, currently held in pretrial detention at Istanbul’s Silivri Prison, shared a handwritten note through his lawyers on April 12, declaring his innocence and expressing gratitude for the support he has received. Medin emphasized that he has done nothing beyond journalism and said there is no legitimate reason for his detention.
“I’ve heard about the attention and support I’ve received. I’m truly grateful for it,” Medin wrote. “All I did was journalism. That should not be something that lands anyone in prison — not in Turkey, not anywhere else.”
The note continued: “Despite everything, I am still hopeful. I want to believe this situation can be resolved soon. And I still want to believe that the pen is mightier than the sword.”
Arrest and detention
Medin, a Swedish citizen and freelance journalist known for his reporting on conflict zones and human rights, was detained on March 27, 2025, upon arrival at Istanbul Airport. The following day, he was formally arrested by order of the Ankara 10th Criminal Judgeship of Peace on charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization.”
The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), which is representing Medin, has argued that the arrest is unlawful and filed an appeal against the decision. That appeal was rejected on April 9.
Medin is being held at Silivri Prison, a high-security facility outside Istanbul that has become symbolic of Turkey's crackdown on journalists, political dissidents, and civil society actors in recent years. Turkish authorities have frequently used anti-terror laws to detain reporters, often drawing condemnation from press freedom advocates and international organizations.
Medin’s detention adds to a long list of cases involving foreign and domestic journalists prosecuted in Turkey, a country that ranks near the bottom of global press freedom indexes and has been repeatedly criticized by the Council of Europe and international rights groups for its treatment of journalists.
