Syrian political cartoonist Ali Farzat was abducted for several hours yesterday while driving home from his office in Damascus. The masked members of security forces broke Farzat’s left hand, which he uses to draw his famous cartoons, and burnt him with lit cigarettes before dumping him on the side of the road with a bag over his head. Some of his drawings as well as his belongings were confiscated.
NEWS
Syria: Famous cartoonist attacked
Syrian political cartoonist Ali Farzat was abducted for several hours yesterday while driving home from his office in Damascus. The masked members of security forces broke Farzat’s left hand, which he uses to draw his famous cartoons, and burnt him with lit cigarettes before dumping him on the side of the road with a bag […]
By Sara Yasin
26 Aug 11
READ MORE
-
Index on Censorship welcomes the release of Palestinian human rights defender and lawyer Diala Ayesh
Ayesh was released from administrative detention on 14 January 2025 by Israeli authorities
-
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup is just another attempt at sportswashing
Undemocratic states that seek to exploit soft power to hide their human rights abuses should be condemned, not celebrated
-
How can Gaza rebuild its culture?
With a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas now imminent, Index reflects on the damage done to Palestine’s cultural institutions
-
What could Assad’s downfall mean for freedom of expression in Syria?
Syrian journalists have been subjected to free speech violations for decades. Could the future hold hope for a more open media landscape?