Malaysian political cartoonist Zunar won a long-awaited victory this week when a High Court judge agreed he was entitled to compensation for books and original art seized by police in 2010. Although the judge awarded him 18,000 Ringgit (about $4,000)…
Category: International
Musa Kart Indicted After Lengthy Detention, Could Face 29 Years in Prison
Five months after Turkish political cartoonist Musa Kart was arrested along with several of his colleagues from Cumhuriyet newspaper on suspicion of supporting Kurdish militants and the Gulenist movement, they finally were formally indicted this week. If convicted, Kart could…
China Imposes New Restrictions on Foreign Picture Books
The Chinese government this month abruptly placed new restrictions on the publication of children’s picture books from abroad, reportedly in order to “reduce the influence of foreign ideas and enhance ideological control.” Authorities are not commenting directly, but four publishers…
Turkish Artist and Journalist Sentenced to Two Years for Painting
A Turkish artist and journalist has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for her painting showing the aftermath of the government’s assault on a Kurdish city last year. Authorities claim that Zehra Doğan endangered security by…
Bare Shelves at Moscow Library of Ukrainian Literature
Over a year after the former director of Moscow’s Library of Ukrainian Literature was arrested and charged with “inciting ethnic hatred” through books, the city government appears to be quietly shutting down the library with a specious “merger” into a…
Egyptian Cartoonist Featured in New Documentary
The new documentary Tickling Giants puts the spotlight on the important role of satire and humor in political dissent–in this case, Egyptian heart surgeon-turned-comedian Bassem Youssef, who launched a Daily Show-inspired TV program in the midst of the Arab Spring…
Musa Kart and Colleagues Still in Prison Awaiting Indictment
It has now been over four months since Turkish cartoonist Musa Kart and several of his colleagues from Cumhuriyet newspaper were arrested on suspicion of supporting Kurdish militants and the Gulenist movement. There is little change to report in their…
PEN America Notes Chilling Effect of U.S. Immigration Restrictions
Even before the second version of President Trump’s travel ban was unveiled yesterday, the general unease over immigration restrictions and possible detention or questioning at U.S. ports of entry was already causing a chilling effect for international writers and artists…
Saudi Fans Flock to Kingdom’s First Comic Con
Saudi fans of comics and all things geek made history last week with the kingdom’s first ever Comic Con. Despite fevered criticism from traditionalists who accused them of “devil worshipping,” men and women alike put on their best cosplay and…
CBLDF Joins Condemnation of Proposed DHS Password Policy
CBLDF has joined a statement condemning a Department of Homeland Security proposal that would require non-citizens to provide their social media passwords as a condition of entering the United States. The statement warns, “Freedom of expression and press rights, access…