Category: International

Egyptian Cartoonist Released Without Charge After Overnight Jail Stay

Egyptian cartoonist Islam Gawish was arrested on Sunday, allegedly for operating a website without government authorization, but was released yesterday without charge. Although his cartoons tend towards social rather than political satire, it appears an arresting officer found some of…

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…

“Cartooning Is the Art of Danger”

Exiled Iranian cartoonist Kianoush Ramezani took to the TED stage to not only talk about his work as an activist for free speech, but the explicit dangers cartoonists face when they do choose to speak out. Working in exile in…

Turkish Government Bans Brazilian Cartoonist

Brazilian political cartoonist Carlos Latuff may have become popular amongst the general population of Turkey, but the Turkish government will stop at nothing to still his pen. In a recent interview with Al-Monitor, the cartoonist discusses the implications of his…

For Myanmar Cartoonists, Satire is Both a Right and an Obligation

Since Myanmar’s military junta lost its stranglehold on the government in 2012, political cartoonists old and new have relished their newfound freedom to criticize the powers that be. Following the country’s first democratic elections of the new era late last…

Farghadani Acquitted on “Illegitimate Relations” Charge

Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani, currently serving a nearly 13-year prison sentence for caricaturing members of parliament as animals, has been spared even more prison time as she was recently acquitted of “non-adultery illegitimate relations.” That charge was brought after she…

Snow White Book Banned in Qatar for “Indecent” Illustrations

Qatar’s Supreme Education Council recently ordered a private school to remove a picture-book adaptation of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from its library collection due to illustrations that one parent said were “inappropriate” and “indecent.” The principal at…