The Latest News from CRNI

On January 23, 2012, at 9 pm, EST, Dr. Robert “Bro” Russell, the Executive Director of Cartoonists Rights Network interviewed Sandya Eknaligoda, the wife of missing Sri Lankan journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda.  For Sandya the interview took place at 7:30 am Sri Lankan time, on January 24th, the second anniversary of the day her husband disappeared.  It is presumed that Prageeth was kidnapped for his work investigating and criticizing the Sri Lankan government of President Rajapaksa.   read more

Photograph by Olof Ekström for Wikipedia The Associated Press and the Washington Post are reporting that a Swedish criminal court has acquitted the three men accused of plotting to murder Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks.  The three men who were armed with knives outside an art gallery shortly before the cartoonist was to make a rare public appearance, were acquitted on Friday by the Goteborg District Court.  The cartoonist has been in hiding after receiving numerous death threats.   read more

Cartoon by Luz for Charlie Hebdo magazine. On December 22, 2011, CRNI Deputy Director Drew Rougier-Chapman interviewed Stephane “Charb” Charbonnier, the Editor-in-Chief of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine that was firebombed at approximately 1:00 am on November 2, 2011.  The magazine’s offices were firebombed and its website was hacked apparently by Islamic extremists angered by a then upcoming issue to poke fun of Sharia law.  The attack did not prevent publication of the issue and fortunately no one was hurt in the attack.  Unfortunately this violent crime remains unsolved.  In the interview, which was superbly translated by Delphine Halgand, the DC Director of Reporters Without Borders, Charb describes how his staff has responded with their characteristic bravery and irreverence. read more

Skype photograph by Drew Rougier-Chapman On December 2, 2011, CRNI Director Robert "Bro" Russell had a Skype exchange with Turkish cartoonist Bahadir Baruter.  Bahadir faces up to one year in prison for drawing a cartoon that appeared in the Turkish humor magazine Penguen.  The cartoon depicts a man praying in a mosque.  Hidden in the background of the cartoon on a wall is a scribble that says, "There is no Allah" and "Religion is a lie."  Bahadir, who has been charged with "insulting the religious values adopted by a part of the population," had his first court hearing on this charge on September 28, 2011.  His trial is scheduled for March 29, 2012.  This is one of only a few interviews Bahadir has given since being charged.  He does though plan to speak with a number of international media outlets and human rights organizations, including CRNI, in the weeks leading up to his trial date.       read more

Photograph by Elijah Nouvelage As the Occupy movement has spread from Wall Street to a number of American cities, so has the detaining and arresting of journalists reporting on the protests.  This trend (which is well documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists in their November 11, 2011, article At Occupy protests, U.S. journalists arrested, assaulted) is a disturbing new threat to the First Amendment rights of journalists.  On November 3, 2011, we were informed that editorial cartoonist and reporter Susie Cagle was arrested in Oakland while reporting on the Occupy Oakland movement.  She was detained for approximately fifteen hours, cited with failure to leave the scene of a riot, and otherwise treated as a law breaking demonstrator and not as a journalist during her job.  That charge is still pending against her despite the fact that Ms. Cagle has made extraordinary attempts to identify herself as a member of the press to the Oakland Police Department (OPD).  Before the protests began she frequently phoned and emailed the OPD's Public Information Officer seeking an OPD press badge.  At the time of her arrest she openly and prominently displayed her employer issued press badge while verbally informing the arresting officer of her status as a member of the press.  To date the Oakland Police Department and the Oakland District Attorney's office has yet to dismiss the charge even though the OPD has since granted Ms. Cagle an OPD press badge and thus acknowledged Ms. Cagle's status as a journalist. read more