Cartoonists Under Threat

Zunar’s cartoon response to latest sedition charges

Malaysian political cartoonist Zunar has been charged in Kuala Lumpur with nine counts of sedition for tweets posted following a controversial court ruling. Zunar could be sentenced to 43 years in prison if convicted.

Zunar (Zulkifi Anwar Ulhaque) is known for cartoons lampooning the excesses and questionable practices of the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak. Over the years, his cartoon books have been periodically confiscated, bookstores banned from selling his work, and his webmaster ordered to provide a list of those buying his books online.

“They are really trying to shut me off from criticizing the government, so I think it’s clearly politically motivated,” Zunar said of the latest charges. [Full Story]

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Turkey’s President Erdogan, left, with Penguen magazine cover

Cartoonists Bahadir Baruter and Ozer Aydogan, from the Turkish satirical magazine Penguen, have been found guilty of insulting Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a cartoon on the cover of the magazine’s August issue. The court sentenced both cartoonists to 14 months in prison on March 24. That sentence was reduced to 11 months and 20 days, for “good conduct” during the trial, and subsequently commuted to a fine of 7,000 Liras each. The cartoon in question depicted the president meeting two officials outside his newly completed presidential palace, with the cartoon Erdogan saying: “What a bland celebration. We could have at least sacrificed a journalist.” The cartoonists explained in court that the cartoon was making a comment on the victimization of journalists. [Full Story]

Artist Atena Farghadani, from a Youtube posting from December, 2014

Iranian artist-activist Atena Farghadani, who has been on a hunger strike in Gharchak Prison south of Tehran since February 9, 2015, is in precarious medical condition according to her lawyer, as reported by Amnesty International. “Her life is now literally in the hands of the Iranian authorities. She must receive the urgent medical care she needs,” Farghadani’s lawyer says. Farghadani began her hunger strike to protest her continued incarceration for her political views, advocacy work and art.  She was arrested on January 10, 2015, by her country’s Revolutionary Guard on charges of “propoganda against the regime,” “insult to representatives of the parliament by means of cartoons,” and “insult to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the three branches of government during the course of interrogation.” [Full Story]