Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard met with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Warsaw on Thursday, urging the release of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin. Medin had been detained in Turkey after being convicted for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Swedish Foreign Ministry reported. The meeting took place during an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers.

Medin, who writes for Dagens ETC, was arrested at Istanbul Airport on March 27 while covering protests in Turkey. He was sentenced to an 11-month suspended prison term for allegedly insulting Erdogan. The charge stems from a protest in Stockholm in January 2023, where an effigy of Erdogan was hung, although Medin was not present at the event. Despite the court ordering his release, Medin remains in detention awaiting trial on another charge of links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey and its allies. Medin has denied the accusation.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister Stenergard emphasized her demand for Medin’s prompt return, signaling Sweden’s strong commitment to securing the journalist’s freedom.