Index on Censorship » cartoon

Iran: MP withdraws complaint against cartoonist after outcry

Alice Purkiss — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:38:56 +0000

A sentence handed to an Iranian cartoonist may be quashed after the MP who brought the case withdrew his complaint. Mahmoud Shokraye faced 25 lashes after local conservative MP Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani took offence at a caricature the artist had drawn. Shokraye was found guilty of insulting Ashtiani at a media law court in Arak last week. The sentence caused outcry internationally and within Iran, forcing the MP to withdraw his complaint.

The post Iran: MP withdraws complaint against cartoonist after outcry appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Iran: Cartoonist sentenced to 25 lashes for drawing politician

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:25:20 +0000

An Iranian cartoonist has been sentenced to 25 lashes after drawing a caricature of a MP. Cartoonist Mahmoud Shokraye depicted local conservative MP Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani dressed as a footballer. Iranian politicians were recently criticised for interfering in sports in the country. The politician took offence at the cartoon and sued the artist for insulting him, resulting in a Markazi province court sentencing Shokraye to lashing. Many have taken to social media to express their outrage at the sentence.

The post Iran: Cartoonist sentenced to 25 lashes for drawing politician appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Turkey – Cartoonist to be put on trial for renouncing God

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:26:52 +0000

A cartoonist is facing trial for a caricature in which he renounces God. Turkish cartoonist Bahadır Baruter created an image showing an imam and believers praying in a mosque, with one believer on his mobile phone, asking God to excuse him from the last part of the prayer to run errands. The Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office charged Baruter with “insulting the religious values adopted by a part of the population” and requested that he be imprisoned for one year. The cartoon, which was published in the weekly Penguen magazine, included the words ”There is no Allah, religion is a lie”, hidden in the image.

The post Turkey – Cartoonist to be put on trial for renouncing God appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Uganda: Editor detained over cartoon

Emily Butselaar — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:31:18 +0000

The chief executive officer and managing director of Business Summit Review was detained on January 11 after the magazine ran a cover cartoon depicting Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni slicing up a cake in celebration of 48 years of Uganda’s independence. Mustapha Mugisa was released a few hours after his arrest but faces charges of political offence.

The post Uganda: Editor detained over cartoon appeared first on Index on Censorship.

South Africa: Jacob Zuma sues newspaper over cartoon

Intern — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:52:19 +0000

South African president, Jacob Zuma has filed a $440,000 defamation lawsuit over a cartoon depicting him as a rapist of the justice system. The cartoon, published in 2008 by South Africa’s Sunday Times, depicts Zuma pulling his trousers down and about to rape a woman symbolising the justice system, aided by allies. One of Zuma’s allies depicted in the cartoon, filed a complaint about the cartoon before South Africa’s Human Rights Commission in 2008, however the commission concluded that the cartoon did not violate Zuma’s constitutional right to dignity or constitute hate speech.

The post South Africa: Jacob Zuma sues newspaper over cartoon appeared first on Index on Censorship.

“Everybody Draw Mohammed” cartoonist placed on hit list

Intern — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:38:02 +0000

Prominent Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has placed the cartoonist responsible for the Everybody Draw Mohammed Day campaign on an hit list. Writing in English language Al Qaeda magazine Inspire, New Mexico born al-Awlaki branded Molly Norris a blasphemer and declared that she “does not deserve life, does not deserve to breathe the air”. In April 2010, Norris started a Facebook group encouraging people to draw Mohammed, in retaliation to Comedy Central’s decision to edit South Park’s depiction of the Islamic prophet, which resulted in Pakistan blocking the social networking site. The FBI has warned Norris of what they consider to be “a very serious threat”.

The post “Everybody Draw Mohammed” cartoonist placed on hit list appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Dutch prosecutor appeals Holocaust cartoon aquittal

Intern — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:57:40 +0000

The Dutch public prosecutor will challenge an April court ruling which acquitted a Muslim group of insulting Jews by publishing a cartoon denying the holocaust. The public prosecutor said yesterday the appeal was necessary to establish whether the cartoon added to public discussion or was “exceptionally offensive”. The Arab European League claims it was highlighting free speech double standards following the row over publication of cartoons featuring the prophet Mohammed.

The post Dutch prosecutor appeals Holocaust cartoon aquittal appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Morocco: crackdown on royal cartoon

Index on Censorship — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:05:03 +0000

The Moroccan government is suing daily newspaper Akhbar Al Youm after it published a cartoon of Prince Moulay Ismail. The government said the cartoon showed “blatant disrespect” to the royal family. Read more here

The post Morocco: crackdown on royal cartoon appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Malaysian officials seize magazine

Index on Censorship — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:27:03 +0000

In Kuala Lumpur, copies of the inaugural issue of Gedung Kartun magazine have been confiscated by officials due to a “lack of publication permit” as well as for “content checking.” The magazine’s editor-in-chief and well-known cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Haque aka Zunar disputes this and claims to have verbally obtained a license serial number. Read more here

The post Malaysian officials seize magazine appeared first on Index on Censorship.

Editor receives death threat over cartoon

Natasha Schmidt — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:00:49 +0000

Najam Sethi, chief editor of Pakistan’s Daily Times, received death threats from militant group the Islamic Taliban Movement for publishing a cartoon in one of the paper’s sister publications, Aaj Kal. The cartoon depicted the leader of a radical women’s madrassa, Umme Hassan, calling for female students to wage violent jihad. The threat followed a demonstration in Lahore last week during which Hassan called the cartoon blasphemous. Read more

The post Editor receives death threat over cartoon appeared first on Index on Censorship.