Malaysian cartoonist Zunar was set to face nine sedition counts this week, but at the last minute a court postponed the start of his trial to July 7 due to a separate pending legal challenge to the country’s entire Sedition…
Tag: political cartoons
Iraqi Cartoonist’s Work a Labor of Love
In the tumultuous years since the US-led coalition’s invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein, the country’s media landscape has changed dramatically for everyone–including political cartoonists. In a recent interview from the online magazine Sampsonia Way, cartoonist Saad…
Malaysian Court Allows Government to Appeal Lifting of Zunar Ban
Just over a week before Zunar’s trial on nine counts of sedition is slated to begin, a Malaysian court yesterday allowed the Ministry of Home Affairs to move forward with a separate effort to ban two of his cartoon books…
Zunar Remains Defiant Before Trial
Facing trial next month on nine counts of sedition which could carry a sentence of up to 43 years, Malaysian cartoonist Zunar has been making the English-language media rounds with a profile from news agency AFP and an interview with…
Award-Winning Indian Cartoons Celebrate Freedom of Expression
Political cartoonists from India and around the world received some well-deserved recognition last week with the announcement of the winners in this year’s Maya Kamath Memorial Awards from the Indian Institute of Cartooning. While all of the designees reflect a…
Zunar Charged with Nine Counts of Sedition
The latest round of the Malaysian government’s harassment against political cartoonist Zunar came to a head last week when he was charged with nine counts of sedition, which could carry a total sentence of up to 43 years in prison.…
Cartooning Flourishes in Myanmar’s New Independent Media
The nation of Myanmar has only had an independent press for three years, since the longtime military junta began transitioning to a civilian government. In that short time, though, a new generation of cartoonists has arisen to document and respond…
Two Killed in Copenhagen Attacks on Free Speech Panel and Synagogue
A gunman opened fire on a Copenhagen cafe that was hosting a discussion on art, free speech, and blasphemy on Saturday, killing one attendee and injuring three police officers. The apparent target of the attack, Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, was…
Zunar Arrested for Twitter Criticism of Malaysian Government
Malaysian cartoonist Zunar is currently imprisoned, awaiting questioning over a tweet he posted this week suggesting that the country’s judiciary is corrupted by political or financial influence. He issued the criticism just after the internationally condemned sodomy conviction of former…
Palestinian Cartoonist Questioned About Possible Mohammed Cartoon
Palestinian cartoonist Mohammed Sabaaneh is under investigation for drawing a cartoon that was widely interpreted as depicting the Prophet Mohammed, although the artist himself insists the figure was only a symbolic representation of the Muslim faith. Only a short time…