After nearly 18 months in prison for a cartoon depicting politicians as animals, Iranian artist and activist Atena Farghadani will reportedly be released sometime next month. She had been sentenced to 12 years and 9 months, but according to her…
Tag: court case
Zunar Trial to Proceed After Court Rejects Challenge to Sedition Act
Malaysia’s High Court yesterday rejected cartoonist Zunar’s challenge to the country’s Sedition Act, clearing the way for his long-delayed trial on nine counts of sedition. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 43 years in prison. A…
Egyptian Puppet Charged With “Violating Public Morality”
A wildly popular satirical puppet who appears on Egyptian television is being called into court on June 26, accused of “violating public morality” with her bawdy jokes. The case against Abla Fahita (Aunt Fajita) was brought by lawyer Samir Sabry,…
Manga Cop-Out at the Swedish Supreme Court
In the abstract, most people in free societies would probably agree that no one should be fined or thrown in jail simply for possessing drawings of any sort. But when the drawings in question are certain varieties of manga, often…
Zunar Sedition Trial Delayed Yet Again to April 7
The sedition trial of Malaysian cartoonist Zunar has been delayed yet again to April 7, he reported via Twitter this week. After multiple delays while a separate challenge to the country’s Sedition Act is pending, the trial had been set…
On a Loop: Zunar’s Sedition Trial Delayed Once Again
The trial of Malaysian cartoonist Zunar was set to begin yesterday, but has once again been delayed while a separate challenge to the country’s Sedition Act is pending. A new start date has been set for March 9. If convicted…
Egyptian Novelist Acquitted of “Harming Public Morality”
Last week, Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji and Tarek el-Taher, a newspaper editor who printed an excerpt from Naji’s book Use of Life, were acquitted on charges of “harming public morality.” The charges had been brought on behalf of a reader…
Sedition in 140 Characters or Less: Zunar on the Alarming State of Free Speech in Malaysia
Zunar in U.S. to Receive CPJ International Press Freedom Award
With his future hinging on a legal challenge to Malaysia’s Sedition Act, cartoonist Zunar is currently in the United States to accept an International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists tonight. Last week he and the other…
Algeria’s Tahar Djehiche Sentenced to Prison for Cartoon
In yet another chilling development for cartoonists’ freedom of expression worldwide, an Algerian appeals court this week convicted cartoonist Tahar Djehiche of insulting the country’s president and inciting mob violence via cartoon. He has appealed the verdict to the Supreme…