Joakim Medin

Joakim Medin
Medin in 2016
Born
Kaj Joakim Medin

1984 (age 40–41)
Mölndal, Sweden
Alma materUppsala University
Occupations
  • Writer
  • journalist
Years active2009–present
SpouseSofie Axelsson
Children1

Kaj Joakim Medin (born 1984) is a Swedish journalist and writer.[1]

Early life

He was born in 1984 in Mölndal.[2][3] He has a sister and a brother. He worked as a history and social studies teacher for two years at Westerlundska Gymnasium in Enköping.[4]

Career

His first job in journalism was covering the 2009 Honduran coup d'état for a Guatemalan newspaper.[5] He studied journalism at Uppsala University.[4]

In 2016, Medin wrote the book Kobane: den kurdiska revolutionen och kampen mot IS (translation: "Kobani: The Kurdish revolution and the battle against IS"), which was based on his travels to Syria as a journalist, where he met Kurds trying to establish Rojava[6] after having defeated ISIS attempting to establish a caliphate in the region.[6]

His fifth book Amanda – Min dotters resa till IS (translation: "Amanda - My daughter's journey to IS") was published in 2022 and co-authored with Patricio Galvez. The book tells about Galvez' daughter Amanda Gonzalez who converted to Islam as a teenager, was then radicalised and married Michael Skråmo.[7] In 2014, the couple and their children travelled to the ISIS caliphate in Syria where both were subsequently killed in 2019.[8]

Imprisonment in Syria

Working as a freelance journalist he has reported on the treatment of Kurds in Syria. While working there he and his interpreter were jailed for a week.[9]

In February 2022, Medin was in Kyiv and reported on the first week of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[10][11] Later that same year he was awarded the Uppsala Medal of Honor.[12]

Imprisonment in Turkey

On 27 March 2025, Medin was arrested when arriving in Turkey where he was supposed to report on the ongoing protests for the newspaper ETC.[13][14] A day later, Medin's editor-in-chief at ETC confirmed his arrest, and that he was being charged with "insulting the president" and "membership of a terrorist organisation".[15] This was also confirmed by prosecutors in Ankara.[16]

His arrest stems from his alleged involvement in a protest against Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Stockholm in 2023 were an effigy of Erdogan was hanged outside Stockholm Town Hall.[17] On 23 April, he was officially charged with insulting the President, and terrorism.[18][19] The trial in Ankara was attended by Swedish parliamentarians Jonas Sjöstedt of the Left Party and Ulrika Westerlund from the Green Party.[20] He was convicted on the insult charges and sentenced to a suspended 11-month prison term.[21] He remained detained at Marmara Prison pending a verdict on his terrorism case.[22] He was released on 16 May 2025 and returned to Sweden the same day.[23][24]

Personal life

His wife, Sofie Axelsson, is also a journalist.[25] They have a daughter.[26]

Bibliography

  • Kobane: den kurdiska revolutionen och kampen mot IS. Stockholm: Leopard förlag. 2016. ISBN 9789173436250
  • Orbánistan: rädsla och avsky i det illiberala Ungern. Stockholm: Verbal. 2018. Libris 22422690. ISBN 9789187777370
  • Thailandssvenskarna. Stockholm: Verbal. 2019. ISBN 9789187777752
  • Samhällsbärarna. Stockholm: Unizon. 2021. ISBN 978-91-519-8816-0
  • Amanda – Min dotters resa till IS. Stockholm: Verbal. 2022. ISBN 978-91-89155-81-7
  • Samhällsbärarna. Stockholm: Unizon. 2021. ISBN 978-91-519-8816-0
  • Kurdspåret. Sverige, Turkiet och priset för ett Natomedlemskap. Stockholm: Verbal. 2023. ISBN 978-91-89524-38-5

References

  1. ^ "Swedish journalist arrested in Turkey facing 'false' accusations: wife". The Local Sweden. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  2. ^ Torén Björling, Sanna (21 May 2025). "Joakim Medin: "I förundersökningen mot mig fanns en lista på andra svenska journalister"". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  3. ^ Sundberg, Peter (22 February 2015). "Mamma Marika om frisläppandet av fängslade Joakim". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b Lövrander, Tina (22 February 2015). "Vill själv ta reda på vad som händer". Upsala Nya Tidning (in Swedish). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Joakim Medin". Västerbottens-Kuriren (in Swedish). 4 March 2020 – via PressReader. Hans första jobb som journalist var att bevaka och fotografera statskuppen i Honduras 2009 för en guatemalansk veckotidning.
  6. ^ a b Hultén, Eva-Lotta (7 June 2016). "En intressant men torr rapport från Syrien". Göteborgs-Posten. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Joakim Medin om nya boken: "Vi har båda två gråtit under arbetets gång"". Journalisten. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Så blev hans dotter jihadist: "Jag var blind för nyanserna"". Dagens ETC. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 5 April 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  9. ^ Hamadé, Kassem (22 February 2015). "Joakim Medin berättar om fångenskapen". Expressen. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  10. ^ Joakim Medin på plats i Kiev: Vaknade till dova smällar - P4 Uppland. Sveriges Radio. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Detta har hänt Joakim Medin". Dagens ETC. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  12. ^ Holmgren, Tobias (17 November 2022). "Här får Joakim från Mölndal hedersmedalj på Uppsala slott". Mölndals-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  13. ^ "Turkey says Swedish journalist detained on terror charges and for 'insulting the president'". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  14. ^ Swedish Journalist Arrested in Turkey on Terrorism Charge Bloomberg L.P.. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  15. ^ "Turkey arrests Swedish journalist Joakim Medin over 'terrorism'". Euronews. 29 March 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  16. ^ Swedish journalist jailed in Turkey on terrorism, insult charges Reuters. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  17. ^ "Turkey arrests Swedish journalist over alleged terrorist connections to a pro-Kurdish group". AP News. 30 March 2025. Archived from the original on 4 April 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Joakim Medin åtalas – riskerar 12 års fängelse". Dagens Nyheter. 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  19. ^ "Swedish journalist Joakim Medin charged in Turkey risks 12 years in prison". The Local Sweden. 23 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  20. ^ "Svenska politiker till Medins rättegång i Turkiet". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 28 April 2025. ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  21. ^ France-Press, Agence (30 April 2025). "Swedish journalist sentenced in Turkey for 'insulting Erdoğan'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  22. ^ "Swedish journalist gets 11-month suspended prison term in Turkey for insulting Erdogan". AP News. 30 April 2025. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  23. ^ Svensson, Johan (16 May 2025). "Joakim Medin är fri". etc.se. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  24. ^ Swedish PM says jailed reporter on his way home from Turkey Reuters. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  25. ^ Linderot, Elvira (31 May 2025). "Joakim Medin hälsade på hos familjen i Mölndal". Mölndals-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  26. ^ "Journalisten Joakim Medin har blivit pappa". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 22 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
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