The trial in absentia of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin on terrorism-related charges in Turkey was adjourned Thursday after a brief hearing in İstanbul that lasted about three minutes, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) reported.
Medin, who is represented by MLSA lawyers, is standing trial on charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization” and “disseminating terrorist propaganda.” The third hearing was held at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court.
The hearing, which had been scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., started about an hour late and lasted only three minutes before the court adjourned it to allow procedural deficiencies in the case file to be remedied.
MLSA lawyer Hazal Didare Sümeli asked the court to wait for a response to a request for Medin’s statement to be taken in the country where he is currently located and to provide the defense with a digital examination report. The prosecutor also requested that the deficiencies in the case file be resolved.
The hearing was attended by a Swedish member of the European Parliament, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) İstanbul deputy Celal Fırat, a representative of the Swedish Publishers’ Association, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu, Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) lawyer Elif Ergin and an observer from independent journalism organization Platform 24 (P24).
The court ruled to wait for the response to the request concerning Medin’s testimony abroad and adjourned the trial until October 1.
Medin was detained at İstanbul Airport on March 27 after arriving in Turkey to cover protests that erupted following the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the presidential candidate of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). He was arrested the following day.
Turkish authorities prepared two separate indictments against Medin, one on charges of “insulting the president” and the other on alleged membership in an armed terrorist organization. He was sentenced to 11 months, 20 days in prison in the trial concerning the insult charge.
Although a court ordered his release in that case, Medin remained in İstanbul’s Silivri Prison at the time because he was also being held in connection with the terrorism-related case. He was later released after 50 days in pretrial detention following an objection filed by MLSA.
The terrorism case also includes an additional charge of disseminating terrorist propaganda.
The indictment cites Medin’s social media posts, news reports and books as evidence against him. Prosecutors claim that in articles published by the Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, Medin sought to legitimize the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and affiliated structures.
Turkey considers the YPG to be an extension of the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
The indictment also says Medin interviewed organization leaders, focused on northern Syria and entered and exited Turkey more than 20 times since 2015. His book “The Kurdish Revolution and the Fight Against ISIS” was also cited among the evidence listed in the indictment.
Medin has denied the accusations in his statements to prosecutors and the court, saying he was engaging in journalistic work and that his social media posts were intended to inform the public.
Dagens ETC editor-in-chief Andreas Gustavsson previously said Medin was being accused for his journalism.
“Joakim is not a criminal, definitely not some kind of terrorist,” Gustavsson said in April. He added that Turkish authorities appeared to be trying to present Medin’s reporting on Turkey as terrorist activity, calling the allegation “absurd.”
The European Parliament in May 2025 called for Medin’s immediate and unconditional release, saying freedom of the press is a fundamental right and a core EU value. The call came as EU lawmakers also condemned Turkey’s crackdown on protests following İmamoğlu’s arrest.
Turkey was gripped by widespread street protests after the March 19 detention and subsequent arrest of İmamoğlu, who is widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest political rival. Police arrested nearly 2,000 people, including journalists, during the protests. Among them was BBC correspondent Mark Lowen, who was deported for posing “a threat to public order,” while AFP photographer Yasin Akgül was arrested and later released pending trial.
RSF ranks Turkey 163rd out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index.