Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky shot dead in the street

From Cartooning for Peace.

Russian artist and cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky, also known as Simon Skrepetski, was shot dead in the street on Monday June 15 in Biała Podlaska in eastern Poland, near the border with Belarus.

An exile in Poland since 2021, he used his drawings to criticize autocrats such as Putin, the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. 

“Under Pressure”: Report on the Situation of Threatened Press Cartoonists Worldwide (2023–2025)

From Cartooning for Peace.

Niels Bo Bojesen (Denmark)

The new report on the situation of threatened press cartoonists around the world will be released on March 2, 2026. 

It is the result of a joint effort by Cartooning for Peace, Cartoonists Rights and their partners: Freedom Cartoonists Foundation, FORHUM, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression – Columbia University, and Reporters Without Borders.

Cartoonists’ & free speech orgs in support of LeMan magazine

From Cartoonists Rights International.

The undersigned are appalled by the victimization of staff at LeMan humor magazine, Istanbul in recent days, following the publication June 26th of a cartoon strip by Doğan Pehlevan, the content, meaning, and intent of which has been distorted by government officials in Turkey, leading to inaccurate media coverage and misguided public outrage and, ultimately, four jailed on multiple charges, two more colleagues wanted by police, and the entire entity under investigation for accepting foreign influence.

• Association of Canadian Cartoonists / L’Association de caricaturistes Canadien
• Daryl Cagle – Cagle Cartoons, Inc. (Newspaper Syndicate)
• Cartoon Movement
• Cartooning for Peace
• Cartoonists Rights
• Columbia Global Freedom of Expression
• European Cartoon Award
• Forum for Humour and the Law (ForHum)
• Freedom Cartoonists Foundation
• Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC Strategy
• Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation (PCO)
• ToonsMag

Release of Atena Farghadani

From Cartooning for Peace. 

Atena Farghadani was violently arrested on 13 April 2024 by intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) when she tried to display a drawing near the presidential palace in Tehran. 

Since then, she was held in Evin prison, infamous for its detention conditions. She has just been released after nearly 8 months in prison.

Iran Alert – Atena Farghadani

From Cartooning for Peace.

The non-governmental organisation HRANA published an article drawing attention to the situation of the Iranian press cartoonist and former political prisoner Atena Farghadani. 

Arrested on April 13th and detained in Qarchak prison, she was clearly ill-treated during her arrest. 

She was allegedly arrested for trying to display one of her drawings on the wall of Avenue Pastor, where the presidential palace is located. The criminal charges against her have yet to be confirmed.

Cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo threatened

From Cartooning for Peace. 

Ugandan cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, member of the Cartooning for Peace network, has received death threats after launching an anti-corruption campaign on X (formerly Twitter) calling Parliament to account. 

This is not the first time that Spire has highlighted dysfunctions in his country through social media campaigns that have earned him threats. 

But this time, Spire’s fears seem to have gone up a notch. He said that Parliament had requested access to his communications data from the Ugandan Communications Commission.

Peru: cartoonist Carlín intimidated by police

From Cartooning for Peace.

"Learn to tell them apart (Don’t get confused)"

From left to right: "Delinquent in a policeman’s suit", "Delinquent policeman ", 

"Policeman doing his duty".

In a statement on January 30, 2024, the Peruvian National Police (PNP) announced that it would be taking legal action against cartoonist Carlín and his newspaper La República over the above cartoon.

World Forum for Democracy

From Cartooning for Peace.

Cartooning for Peace is taking part in the World Forum for Democracy, organised by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg from 6 to 8 November 2023.

An opportunity for Cartooning for Peace to launch its report on the situation of threatened cartoonists around the world at the Forum Talk organised during the event: 

"Press cartoonist: an endangered profession" with Kak (France), Terry Anderson (UK), Sanity Panels (India), Jean-Paul Marthoz and Tanja Gonggrijp.

The Forum Talk will be broadcast live on the World Forum for Democracy's website.

"Cartoonists on the line"

From Cartoonists Rights.

Cartooning for Peace and Cartoonists Rights will be releasing, on November 7, "Cartoonists on the Line", a report on the situation of threatened cartoonists around the world.

Cartoonists Rights are pleased to announce a new report – Cartoonists on the Line – covering the situation of cartoonists and threats to their freedom of expression, written jointly with colleagues Cartooning for Peace, and supported by our partners Freedom Cartoonists. 

Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani transferred to a Tehran hospital

From Cartoonist for Peace.

According to the latest information provided by her lawyer and shared by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Cartoonists Rights, Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani was admitted to intensive care on June 21, 2023 after being assaulted in prison. 

She had gone on a hunger strike because her food had been poisoned.

Filipino Cartoonist shot and killed in ambush

From Cartooning for Peace.

Cartoonist and art teacher Benharl Capote Kahil (Ben) was shot and killed on November 5 while riding his motorbike home in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat. 

The motive for the killing is unknown.

Badiucao Collection Denounces Beijing Winter Olympics

From Cartooning for Peace. 

On 1 February 2022, Chinese cartoonist Badiucao launched the “Beijing 2022 Olympics” collection calling for a boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics due to the Chinese government’s human rights violations.

A European House of Editorial Cartooning will be created in Paris

From Patrick Chappatte's Facebook page.

Wonderful news: the European House of Editorial Cartooning will be created in Paris, as recommended by our working group. It will network energies in France (including the St-Just show) and in Europe (including the Morges Maison de la presse). Maryse Wolinski's wish is granted! 

A portrait of cartoonist Hossien Rezaye

 From Info Migrants.

Hossien Rezaye arrived in Amsterdam on one of the final flights out of Kabul. A combination of timing and luck allowed him a narrow escape from the Taliban as the extremists encroached on Afghanistan's capital. 

He was evacuated to the Netherlands with help from The Cartoon Movement – an Amsterdam-based NGO – and the Dutch Foreign Ministry.

The complete article here.

International Human Rights Day

 From Cartooning for Peace. 

Cartoon by Willem

Like every December 10th, the world celebrates human rights with this day that the UN has placed this year under the sign of equality and against poverty.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights opens with this first article: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

A principle that sounds obvious and yet, we must admit that it is not self-evident.

Arrest and imprisonment of Tanzanian cartoonist Optatus Fwema

 From Cartooning for Peace.

Cartooning for Peace condemns the arrest and imprisonment of cartoonist Optatus Fwema for cartoon.

On 4 October, the East African Cartoonists’ Society, Katuni, issued a statement informing of the arrest and imprisonment of cartoonist Optatus Fwema at Oysterbay police station, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 

It was followed by the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC). 

"Press cartoons, free to laugh?" Online Conference

From Facebook.

At the invitation of the EUNIC network in Montreal, the European Union National Institutes for Culture and Cartooning for Peace proposes the second online conference, Press cartoons, free to laugh?. 

Conducted in English, it will take place online today, on the symbolic date of World Peace Day.

Ed Hall in "Le Monde" and "The Washington Post"

 From Le Monde.

The cartoon, which appeared in Le Monde on August 30, is signed by American cartoonist Ed Hall, a member of the Cartooning for Peace association.

Censorship in Jordan

From Cartooning for Peace.

On 29 June 2021, the Jordanian cartoonist and member of Cartooning for Peace, Osama Hajjaj, appeared in court to explain a cartoon about family planning in Jordan.

150th Day in Jail for Egyptian Cartoonist Ashraf Hamdi

 From Cartooning for Peace.

On January 25th 2021 Ashraf Hamdi, celebrated creator of Egyptoon, a brand of animated satirical social media content, was arrested at his home in Giza, Egypt. 

He posted a brief comment – “They are coming.” – to his Facebook page shortly after re-posting a link to an old animated cartoon that made a humorous observation about the 2011 revolutionary movement, Jan. 25th being the tenth anniversary of that event. 

The comment has since been deleted and the cartoon in question removed from YouTube.