The Latest News from CRNI

On January 11, 2012, CRNI interviewed Indian cartoonist Aseem Trivedi.  At that time Aseem’s website, Cartoons Against Corruption, had recently been suspended after a lawyer, Rajendra Pratap Pandey, made a complaint to the Mumbai Police, which the Mumbai Police passed on to the website’s domain name registrar, Indian based company Big Rock.  In the complaint Mr. Pandey objected to some of Aseem’s anti-corruption cartoons which were featured on the website.  Mr. Pandey also objected to these cartoons being displayed as posters at a peaceful protest led by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare.  In an interview titled Cartoonist Faces Ban on Right to Poke Fun with India Real Time, Mr. Pandey made the claim that Mr. Trivedi has the right to ridicule individual politicians but that he does not have the right to ridicule the Indian Parliament, the national emblem or the national flag.  Since our interview and after he posted his anti-corruption cartoons on a new website, Aseem was charged with treason and insulting the national emblem in the Beed District Court in Maharashtra.  The Cartoonists Rights Network International urges the authorities in the world’s largest democracy to stand up for free speech and put an end to all the attempts to silence Aseem’s political speech.  Dr. Robert Russell, Executive Director of CRNI, commented, "Aseem’s enemies either don’t know how to interpret symbols in editorial cartoons or are knowingly twisting the law to silence dissent in order to shield corrupt officials."   read more

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