French Photojournalist Detained in Turkey Is Freed

Photographer Mathias Depardon, who was detained in Turkey since May 8, has been released, says the press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders.

French president Emmanuel Macron confirmed the news in a tweet this morning. “I’m delighted to announce the return in France as soon as tonight of our fellow countryman, the photojournalist @mathiasdepardon.”

Depardon was on assignment for National Geographic when he was arrested in the southeast of the country. An order for his deportation was issued on May 11, but Depardon remained in a detention center in Gaziantep, a city near the Syrian border, until this morning.

The photographer has been transferred to Istanbul and will arrive in Paris this evening, says Reporters Without Borders.