Egyptian author Ahmed Naji’s request to be released from prison pending an appeal in his obscenity case was denied last week, meaning he will continue to serve his two-year sentence for “violating public modesty” until a higher court decides to…
Category: International
Cartoonists Discuss Taboos and Censorship in Italian Media
At the Cartoon Movement website, more than 400 political cartoonists from around the world have the chance to share their work internationally and build a community across borders. After remarking what seemed a high proportion of Italians among the contributors’…
Malaysian Police Investigate Lawmaker for Cartoon on Facebook
A Malaysian Member of Parliament is under investigation for sedition after he allegedly shared a cartoon that offended some members of the majority party on Facebook. After heated demonstrations against Nga Kor Ming and his political party DAP this week,…
Experimental Comics Thrive in Middle East Despite Obstacles
Without a doubt, the current world hot spot for underground and experimental comics is the Middle East and North Africa–a fact that might surprise many Americans. From Egypt’s Tok Tok to Lebanon’s Samandal to Nadia Khiari’s radical cartoon cat Willis…
India’s Madras High Court Refuses to Ban Controversial Novel
A two-judge panel at the Madras High Court in India last week rejected petitions to ban author Perumal Murugan’s novel One Part Woman, which has been the target of public protests including a book burning last year. Rightwing nationalists from…
Turkish Journalist Questioned for Sharing Cartoon Online
In just the latest in a string of media clampdowns in Turkey, last week a reporter for Dicle News Agency was detained and questioned at a police checkpoint and for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with a cartoon shared…
Large Turnout for Hong Kong Democracy Protest After Bookseller Revelations
Thousands of Hong Kong residents joined pro-democracy demonstrations last weekend, following local bookstore manager Lam Wing Kee’s revelation that he was involuntarily detained for eight months on the Chinese mainland as authorities there sought information about customers and the books…
Farghadani Strikes Back with New Cartoon
In light of the fact that she recently spent 18 months in prison for drawing a caricature of the Iranian Parliament, Atena Farghadani could be forgiven for taking a bit of a professional break to savor her newfound freedom. Instead,…
French Government Investigating New Death Threats Against Charlie Hebdo
French government prosecutors opened an investigation last week into new credible death threats against surviving members of the staff at Charlie Hebdo, an anonymous source told Le Parisien newspaper yesterday. The threats came by mail and on the magazine’s Facebook page…
Thai Cartoonist “Invited” to Explain Himself to Government Commission
A Thai political cartoonist and his editor at a weekly news magazine have been summoned to meet with government election commissioners this week and explain a cartoon that mocked a previous draft of Thailand’s nascent constitution. Even though the cartoon…