Editorial cartoons about the erosion of freedoms displayed in Geneva

Every two years in Geneva, two cartoonists receive an international prize recognizing their commitment and courage.

This year, the winners are Safaa Odah from Palestine and Jimmy “Spire” Ssentongo from Uganda.

Throughout the month of May, their work, along with a selection of topical cartoons, is on display on Quai Wilson.

The 2026 edition is dedicated to three current topics as interpreted by cartoonists from around the world: new empires, the impact of artificial intelligence, and freedoms under attack.

Telnaes: Democracy Under Siege Makes Its U.S. Debut May 1st

From The Daily Cartoonist.

For four days, beginning May 1, 2026, Ann Telnaes and Friends are making the Laura Dix documentary Democracy Under Siege available in the United States.

Drawing the Line: An Evening with Political Cartoonists

From Media and Democracy Project.

Since before the founding of the country, there have been political cartoons, often mocking the powerful with sharp humor, capturing the absurdity of the moment, shaping public opinion, and even exposing corruption. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in today’s fast paced digital world an image can be shared in the blink of an eye, changing hearts and minds.

With censorship and threats on the rise for the press, including political cartoonists, join us for this special evening with three award-winning political cartoonists who will take us behind the scenes on how they distill the news into a single image and the role that political satire plays in defending democracy.

“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

UPenn Lays Off Cartoonist Mr. Fish

From The Daily Cartoonist.

Days after the Trump Administration froze $175 million in federal funding the University of Pennsylvania has terminated the employment of progressive Lecturer (and Cartoonist) Dwayne Booth, aka Mr. Fish.

From the Mr. Fish Patreon page:

Political Cartoonists on facing Donald Trump

Zach Rabiroff in The Comics Journal.

Trump's ABC by Ann Telnaes

Zach Rabiroff for The Comics Journal investigates the state of political cartooning as the practitioners face a revitalized and seemingly very powerful Donald Trump who is entering his second term as President of the United States with few limits in his way. 

Ann Telnaes reflects on the Charlie Hebdo killings

From The Freedom Cartoonists Foundation.

10th anniversary of Charlie Hebdo killings – A visual essay by Ann Telnaes

Ann Telnaes Quits The Washington Post

From Open Windows.

(rough of cartoon killed)

I’ve worked for the Washington Post since 2008 as an editorial cartoonist. 

I have had editorial feedback and productive conversations—and some differences—about cartoons I have submitted for publication, but in all that time I’ve never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at. 

Until now.

Maison du dessin de presse to open in 2027

From Sortir à Paris.

After a long period of uncertainty, Culture Minister Rachida Dati has confirmed that the Maison du dessin de presse will indeed open in Paris' 6th arrondissement in 2027.

Unveiled in 2020, during the President's wishes to the press, the project to create a Maison du Dessin de Presse seemed to have been forgotten. 

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.

Cartoonists Rights Pledge Drive

From Cartoonists Rights. 

Another December is upon us, and with it Giving Tuesday and our annual Pledge Drive. We hope to count on your support us as our organization prepares to mark 25 years defending the freedom of expression of cartoonists.

Nonprofit organizations under threat in US

Bill H.R. 9495  will hand the President powers to instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to revoke the 501(c)(3) nonprofit status of any organization found to "support terrorism", absent of any substantive investigation or evidence, and without oversight. 

Despite a narrow defeat last week, the bill will return before the House of Representatives this week, with a vote expected on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Congresspeople need to hear from voters in their districts today, telling them to reject the bill. 

Saudi Arabia sentences Mohammed al-Ghamdi to 23 years

From the Associated Press.

Saudi cartoonist Mohammed al-Ghamdi, who drew under the pen name Al-Hazza, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison, according to the Sanad Human Rights Organization.

The sentence for Mohammed al-Ghamdi marks the latest in a widening judicial crackdown on any perceived dissent in Saudi Arabia since the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, now seen as the kingdom’s day-to-day ruler in place of his 88-year-old father King Salman.

Saudi officials did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday from The Associated Press. 

Iranian Cartoonist Sentenced to Six Years

From The Daily Cartoonist. 

From Iran International:

The Revolutionary Court of Tehran has handed down a six-year prison sentence to Atena Farghadani, a cartoonist targeted for her critique of the government.

According to her attorney, Mohammad Moqimi, Farghadani has been behind bars since her arrest on April 13, charged with “insulting sacred values and propagating against the ruling system”. 

Farghadani received five years for the former and an additional year for the latter. Moqimi blasted the proceedings as a “sham trial” in a post on the X, denouncing the judiciary’s manipulation of charges to secure the harshest possible sentence.

Chinese agents hatched plot to kidnap RFA cartoonist

From Radio Free Asia.

Chinese security forces once sought to kidnap Radio Free Asia cartoonist Rebel Pepper, a defector has claimed to the Australian Broadcast Corporation, or ABC.

A Chinese national who used the pseudonym Eric revealed on the ABC program “Four Corners” that he once worked as an agent in the Ministry of Public Security, or MPS, where he was tasked with luring overseas dissidents back to China for the police.

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.

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.

Mongolia magazine sued by Catholic group

From Ground News.

Cartoonist Darío Adanti, one of the editors at Mongolia humour magazine, is currently the subject of legal action from a Catholic group over a front cover photo montage that made a crude joke about The Nativity. 

There is a rash of such lawsuits pertaining to religious sensitivity, to such an extent that Amnesty International in Spain are calling for reform of the penal code. 

Michael Ramirez and The Washington Post

From The Daily Cartoonist.

Editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez spoke to Fox News Digital about The Washington Post pulling his Hamas cartoon and revealed some details of his contract with the paper, and if that relationship will continue.