Zunar’s cartoon response to latest sedition charges
[CRNI is now taking nominations for its annual Courage in Cartooning Award. Go here for information.]
As his sedition trial approaches, Malaysian cartoonist Zunar continues to speak out against civil rights abuses by the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak. In an interview with The Guardian’s cartoonist Martin Rowson at London’s Free Word Centre on May 16th , an event cosponsored by free-speech advocacy groups Index on Censorship and Article 19, Zunar vowed once again to draw until his “last drop of ink, adding that, for political cartoonists: “Talent is not a gift — it’s a responsibility.”
Zunar’s trial is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, May 20th. [UPDATE: Zunar’s trial date has been moved to July 7] He has been charged with nine counts of sedition over a series of tweets the cartoonist made in February following a court decision in a case involving opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Zunar faces a possible 43 years in prison if found guilty.
The entire Martin Rowson/Zunar interview can be heard at Index on Censorship’s website.
