The first hearing in the trial of Swedish journalist Kaj Joakim Medin, who is facing charges of “membership in a terrorist organization,” was held on Sept. 25 at the 13th High Criminal Court in Istanbul. Medin is being represented by lawyers from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a press freedom and legal advocacy group based in Turkey.
Medin did not attend the hearing, as he currently resides abroad. His attorneys, Veysel Ok and Batıkan Erkoç, were present in court, along with a number of observers including Sweden’s Consul General in Istanbul, Karin Hernmarck; the chair of the Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS), Gökhan Durmuş; Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu; and representatives from Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
Court to wait for response to international judicial request
The court noted that Medin's defense statement could not yet be taken because the international judicial assistance request—known as an istinabe, a formal procedure for gathering testimony from a defendant residing abroad—had not yet received a response.
Attorney Veysel Ok asked the court to wait for the outcome of this request and also demanded the return of digital materials that were confiscated from Medin during the investigation.
Next hearing set for Jan. 8, 2026
The court ruled to await the response to the istinabe request and ordered the retrieval of the digital materials referenced in the case file. The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2026.
