Medin was arrested in Istanbul while covering the wave of protests following the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. He was imprisoned on Friday on allegations of terrorism and insulting the president.

His lawyer was finally able to visit him at Silivri Prison and reported that Medin “is in good spirits, eating well, and able to exercise.” Despite being in solitary confinement, he can still communicate with other inmates through their cells. However, he is lacking reading material, which he hopes to receive soon.

Legal Concerns and Unfair Treatment

The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a Turkish human rights group, reported that Medin was not provided with a lawyer or an interpreter during his interrogation. Instead, police used Google Translate to communicate with him. Additionally, an officer allegedly signed a document on his behalf, which he did not understand and refused to sign himself.

During questioning, Medin denied participating in a Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rally in Stockholm in January 2023, where an effigy of Erdoğan was hung upside down. He was also shown a photo of himself with a Kurdish YPG flag, which Turkish authorities view as a PKK-affiliated group in Syria. Medin explained that someone had handed him the flag at that moment.

Swedish Government Response

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he is closely following the case but has not yet spoken with Erdoğan about it. The matter is currently being handled by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On April 1, Medin wrote a handwritten note, stating: “Journalism is not a crime, in any country.” A photo of the note was sent by his lawyer to Dagens ETC.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard announced that she will discuss the case with her Turkish counterpart during this week’s **NATO Foreign