There is perhaps no singular instance that better describes the increasing pressure felt by political cartoonists in Egypt than the case of cartoonist Doaa El-Adl and Naguib Sawiris, the owner of Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, who are being sued by the…
Category: International
2012: The Year in Censorship
Now that 2012 has wrapped up and we’re taking our first steps into 2013, let’s pause a moment to take a look at the path behind us. As we look at some of our top censorship stories from 2012, it’s…
French Magazine Charlie Hebdo Sued Over Mohammed Cartoons
News outlets have reported this month that the notoriously controversial French humor magazine Charlie Hebdo is being sued by a pair of Arab rights organizations over caricatures of the Islamic prophet Mohammed, which were published in September. In the wake…
Swedish Artist Talks About Life in Wake of Mohammed Cartoon
Swedish artist Lars Vilks found himself at the center of controversy in 2007 when his cartoon featuring the Prophet Mohammed’s head on a dog’s body was published. Today, he remains a controversial figure, a fact that influences the way he…
Mike Diana on the Highs and Lows of Creating Controversial Art
In conjunction with a month-long exhibit of his work in London, cartoonist Mike Diana gave an interview to Vice.com about his career. Diana initially gained the attention of a national audience when he became the first United States artist to…
Anti-Extremism Legislation in Russia Courts Censorship
Russia faces increased scrutiny as enforcement of its anti-extremism laws skirts the line of censorship. Just last week, a librarian in Siberia was convicted in criminal proceedings for fulfilling a patron’s request for a banned book. No information was given…
DOH! Channel 4 Censors “Gay” From The Simpsons
British broadcaster Channel 4 recently censored the word “gay” during a recent airing of The Simpsons, according to an article from The Independent. The censored episode, which originally aired in 1994, was run during the midday Sunday programming on the…
South African President Drops Defamation Suit Against Cartoonist
South African President Jacob Zuma announced last week that he was dropping his lawsuit against cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro, known by the pen-name Zapiro. Zuma brought the suit for defamation against Zapiro, along with Sunday Times publisher Avusa Media and editor…
Sedition Charges Dropped Against Aseem Trivedi
On October 12, the Maharashtra state government dropped the sedition charges against cartoonist Aseem Trivedi on advice from the advocate general. Though police were instructed to remove the charge from his case, Trivedi still faces additional charges under the Prevention…
Be Counted: How Your Membership Makes A Difference
Are you a current member of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund? If you’ve contributed your member dues in 2012, we thank you. If you haven’t renewed or have yet to join, we’re asking you to please Be Counted and…