Tag: middle east/north africa

Ahmed Naji to Face Trial Again for Book Excerpt

Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji will be tried a third time for “harming public morality” with an excerpt from his book Use of Life which was reprinted in Akhbar al-Adab newspaper in 2014. Naji was previously convicted and sentenced to two…

Egypt’s Garage Dedicated to Creative Freedom in Comics

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: the international hot spot for vibrant, surreal indie comics, for the past several years at least, is the Middle East and North Africa. Much of the innovation comes from Egypt, where occasionally…

Egyptian Police Raid Indie Press, Arrest Volunteer for ‘Posession of Unregistered Books’

Egyptian police on Sunday raided the office of a small independent press, Merit Publishing House, and detained a volunteer staff member for “being in possession of unregistered books without ISBNs,” implying they likely weren’t approved by government censors. The same…

Two Libya Comic Con Organizers Released Without Charge

Two of the five Libya Comic Con organizers who were detained by an armed militia when the show was raided and shut down on November 3 have now been released without charge, according to a report from the independent news…

Libya Comic Con Shut Down by Militia; Organizers Detained

Libya’s second annual comic con was cut short on Friday when it was stormed by armed militia forces who shut down the event and detained about 20 people. Most have since been released — not exactly unscathed — but the…

Saudi Government Approves Girls Revolution Comics

Earlier this year, comics fans in Saudi Arabia made an unexpectedly strong showing at the kingdom’s first officially sanctioned Comic Con, where both men and women eagerly browsed their favorite books and showed off their cosplay–albeit not without restrictions. Also…

Report Highlights Cartoonists Under Threat Worldwide

Two years after the attack on Charlie Hebdo staff, the world’s free expression focus has largely shifted away from cartoonists. That certainly does not mean the danger has disappeared, however, as a recent 30-page report from the French nonprofit Cartooning…

Egyptian Court Vacates Ahmed Naji Conviction, Orders Retrial

An Egyptian court yesterday ordered a retrial for novelist Ahmed Naji, who spent 10 months in prison for “violating public modesty” with an excerpt from his book Use of Life which was reprinted in the state-owned Akhbar al-Adab newspaper. Naji…

Farghadani Gives Firsthand Account of Imprisonment for Cartoon

Just over a year ago, Iranian artist and activist Atena Farghadani was released from prison after 18 months. Her so-called crime: drawing Iranian MPs as apes and bovines while they debated a bill toban voluntary sterilization procedures such as vasectomies…

Syrian Cartoonists Persevere Despite Chaos

Six years after Syria’s uprising began, the future of the country is far from certain. But one surprising result of the turbulence is already apparent: an abrupt flowering of cartoons, comic magazines, and animated shorts spreading mostly through rebel-held areas…