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cartoonistsrights.org
Cartoonists Rights
@cartoonistsrights.org
6K followers 1.7K following 510 posts
We’re a #humanrights non-profit, defending #cartoonists freedom of expression internationally. Marking our mission’s first quarter century in 2025!
https://cartoonistsrights.org/help-us
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cartoonistsrights.org
November’s CARTOONIST DEFENDER newsletter will be sent out shortly; sign up now to get the latest info on the cartoonists we care about, and a preview of how to support our mission as we prepare to mount our annual PLEDGE DRIVE.

cartoonistsrights.org/help-us/
CARTOONIST DEFENDER badge featuring the url https://cartoonistsrights.org An exaggerated cartoon figure is portrayed in shirt, tie, glasses, and trilby hat. They hold a pencil in their greatly oversized right fist, at the end of a foreshortened arm. They are rolling the shirt-sleeve with their left hand. The artwork is rendered in shades of yellow and purple, the corporate colors of the CARTOONISTS RIGHTS non-profit organization.
November 12, 2025 at 1:33 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
CARTOONISTS RIGHTS extends congratulations to the @dailycartoonist.bsky.social blog, marking 20 years of coverage; essential reading for anyone with an interest in the art form and future of the profession.
www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/ta...
The Daily Cartoonist celebrates two decades of coverage. Daily news and opinion for professional cartoonists since 2025 https://dailycartoonist.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:28 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
We very much welcome yesterday’s intervention from the UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures on behalf of Egyptian cartoonist Ashraf Omar and calling for his release. We thank the three Special Rapporteurs and members of two Working Groups who co-signed.

www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
Screen-grab of a release dated 22 September 2025 on the website of the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures. The headline reads “Egypt: High time for cartoonist Ashraf Omar’s pre-trial detention to end, say UN experts”
September 23, 2025 at 2:40 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
The latest Caglecast episode featuring Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Awardee @zehraomerovna.bsky.social has been classified restricted content on YouTube!
Please watch as we discuss her case and the wider situation for cartoonists in Türkiye with @cagle.bsky.social
youtu.be/njD9RSTSQaU
Thumbnail image for “Caglecast” episode seventy-one, entitled “More cartoonists in jail”. In a cartoon by Zehra Ömeroğlu a drafting table is shown littered with pens, pencils, erasers, and the various items a cartoonist might use. At the center is a cartoon in progress but the artists is absent. The cartoon is cordoned off with the sane striped tale that police use to demarcate a crime scene. Screen grab from “Caglecast” episode seventy-one, entitled “More cartoonists in jail”. At right are video stills of the three participants: American editorial cartoonist & syndicate founder Daryl Cagle, the host of the podcast; Scottish cartoonist & campaigner Terry Anderson, Executive Director of the Cartoonists Rights NGO; and Turkish cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu, winner of the organisation’s Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award. At left is a cartoon by Ömeroğlu. In a self-portrait she depicts herself at her drawing board over a cartoon of President Erdoğan, whose figure reaches out from the page and holds her pencil-bearing hand at bay.
August 18, 2025 at 4:54 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
News breaking 07/29 that Hadi Heidari has been summoned & indicted for “insulting the Iranian people” in a cartoon he’s since deleted & apologised for (as below). Heidari was jailed 2015/16 over a cartoon expressing solidarity after the Charlie Hebdo terror attack.
www.hra-news.org/2025/hranews...
Screen-grab from Instagram feed of cartoonist Hadi Heidari. The image features Persian text, saying: “Yesterday, a cartoon of mine was published as a critique of a bill recently submitted by the government to Parliament. Unfortunately, this metaphor has been interpreted by some in a way that contradicts the image’s intended message, creating an opportunity for misuse. Therefore, following the advice of those who care deeply about Iran and our beloved homeland, I have removed the cartoon from my personal social media pages. Yashani, Iran!”
July 29, 2025 at 4:21 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
June's celebrations were premature; Turkish prosecutors are determined to pursue cartoonist @zehraomerovna.bsky.social and overturn her acquittal, continuing their judicial harassment over a piece that appeared in @lemandergi.bsky.social almost five years ago.
cartoonistsrights.org/omeroglu-not...
We are saddened to learn of efforts to overturn last month's acquittal of Zehra Ömeroğlu, continuing a fifth year of judicial harassment over the alleged "obscenity" of her cartoon seen in LeMan magazine. CARTOONISTS RIGHTS will continue to stand with Zehra Ömeroğlu for as long as it takes… https://cartoonistsrights.org/omeroglu-not-over
July 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
One year ago today, Egyptian cartoonist #ashrafomar was forcibly taken from his home and remains unjustly imprisoned—cut off from family, silenced for daring to critique authority through his art.

We stand with Ashraf #FreeAshrafOmar

#cartoonistsrights

cartoonistsrights.org/ashraf-omar-...
One Year Later We Demand The Swift Release of Cartoonist Ashraf Omar
July 22, 2025 at 3:32 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
One year ago, Egyptian cartoonist #AshrafOmar was taken from his home and remains unjustly detained—separated from loved ones and silenced for his courage to challenge authority through his art.

#FreeAshrafOmar #RightToDissent #CartoonistsCourage

cartoonistsrights.org/ashraf-omar-...
One Year Later - We Demand The Swift Release of Cartoonist ASHRAF OMAR
July 22, 2025 at 11:54 AM
cartoonistsrights.org
We continue to be dismayed by the criminal investigation & misinformation surrounding @lemandergi.bsky.social. Along with ten allies in defence of cartoonists’ free expression we call for an end to the magazine’s judicial harassment.
cartoonistsrights.org/we-support-l...
Cartoon artwork by Doğan Pehlivan that appeared in LeMan magazine, 06/26/25 and wrongly described by prosecutors as depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
July 10, 2025 at 3:23 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
CARTOONISTS RIGHTS joins with @cartooningforpeace.bsky.social and @rsf.org in condemnation of the recent criminal arrest warrants and unrest in Istanbul, all over a misrepresented cartoon seen in @lemandergi.bsky.social last month.
cartoonistsrights.org/statement-le...
LeMan magazine masthead
July 2, 2025 at 1:38 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
CARTOONISTS RIGHTS objects to the warrants issued & arrests of LeMan magazine staffers made yesterday & their broadcast on social media; refutes the interventions of the Interior Minister, the Justice Minister, & Istanbul’s governor; & condemns the ensuing violence on the streets of the city. 1/2
150 million men are the estimated global population using the name Mohammed, Muhammad, or a derivative or variant spelling thereof. Cartoonists must be allowed to use the most commonly-given name in the world without suffering accusations of insulting religious sensibilities. We express our solidarity with all those arrested, intimidated, and attacked at LeMan humor magazine, Istanbul, 06/30/25
July 1, 2025 at 3:59 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
BREAKING: we welcome the news from Istanbul that Zehra Ömeroğlu @zehraomerovna.bsky.social has been acquitted of the criminal charge of “obscenity”, ending more than four years of torment. In May, we recognised her endurance with our Courage in Cartooning Award.
cartoonistsrights.org/award-2025
Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award 2025 Zehra Ömeroğlu (Türkiye) Criminally prosecuted on an “obscenity” charge over a cartoon that appeared in LeMan humor magazine in 2020, Ömeroğlu faced a three year prison sentence if found guilty. She was acquitted on June 26th 2025.
June 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
UPDATE: with thanks to the team at IDJC, we’ve now added a video of last May’s panel to our award announcement coverage. We’re grateful to all who attended and made it such a great evening.
cartoonistsrights.org/award-2025/
Cartoonists Joel Pett, Barry Blitt, Signe Wilkinson, and Kevin Kallaugher onstage at the Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship – Syracuse University – Washington, DC in a panel moderated by Roslyn Mazer as part of the “Cartooning Would-Be Kings” event, May 5th 2025. On screen is a cartoon by Pett entitled “How to silence cartoonists (a guide for the powerful, cowardly and humorless)”. Divided into three panels, the cartoon depicts: the aftermath of the attack at Charlie Hebdo magazine, subtitled “Al-Qaeda method (barbaric + messy)”; imprisoned cartoonist Musa Kart, subtitled “despotic method (effective in Türkiye); and an editor at the New York Times hiding behind their desk and waving a white flag while offering apologies for publishing cartoons, subtitled “corporate method (epidemic in the U.S.)”
June 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
While the last several months of policy changes in the US have offered multiple causes for dismay, our organization is particularly aggrieved by the newly announced “travel ban” that came into effect June 9th.
Full statement – cartoonistsrights.org/travel-ban
“Cartoonists already face censorship and persecution in their home countries. With the USA shutting its doors, they may lose vital lifelines.” A statement from CARTOONISTS RIGHTS following the latest US “travel ban”. https://cartoonistsrights.org/travel-ban
June 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
CARTOONISTS RIGHTS alienta a caricaturistas editoriales y políticos, en todo el mundo, a responder esta importante encuesta y compartir sus experiencias de censura, abuso y amenazas en línea, para un informe que se publicará a fin de año.

globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/updates/2025...
CARTOONISTS RIGHTS alienta a caricaturistas editoriales y políticos, en todo el mundo, a responder esta importante encuesta y compartir sus experiencias de censura, abuso y amenazas en línea, para un informe que se publicará a fin de año.
May 16, 2025 at 3:26 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
#CartoonistsRights encourage les dessinateurs de presse, partout dans le monde, à répondre à cette enquête essentielle et à partager leurs expériences de censure, d’abus et de menaces en ligne, pour contribuer à un rapport publié cette année.

globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/updates/2025...
CARTOONISTS RIGHTS encourage les dessinateurs de presse, partout dans le monde, à répondre à cette enquête essentielle et à partager leurs expériences de censure, d’abus et de menaces en ligne, pour contribuer à un rapport publié cette année.
May 16, 2025 at 3:16 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
تشجع منظمة حقوق رسامي الكاريكاتير جميع رسامي الكاريكاتير التحريريين والسياسيين في كل مكان على إكمال هذا الاستطلاع المهم وإعطاء تجاربهم في الرقابة والإساءة والتهديدات عبر الإنترنت، للمساعدة في صياغة تقرير سيتم إنتاجه في وقت لاحق من هذا العام.

globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/updates/2025...
May 16, 2025 at 3:04 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
CARTOONISTS RIGHTS urges all editorial and political cartoonists-wherever you are-to take part in this vital survey. Speak out about censorship, abuse, and threats. Your experience is crucial-help expose the risks and shape the upcoming report.

globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/updates/2025...
Cartoonists Online: Global Free Expression Survey
May 16, 2025 at 1:45 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
Our newsletter for the month of May will be sent to subscribers next week. Sign up as a CARTOONIST DEFENDER via our website!
cartoonistsrights.org/help-us/
“I am a CARTOONIST DEFENDER” emblem A cartoonist with exaggerated, superhero proportions holds a pencil in the right hand, drawn at a very large size due to extreme foreshortening, and rolls their shirt sleeve with the other hand.
May 8, 2025 at 2:51 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
Unable to attend last night, a word of thanks from our Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Awardee, Zehra Ömeroğlu – @zehraomerovna.bsky.social
More info: cartoonistsrights.org/award-2025
May 6, 2025 at 4:43 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
ICYMI: The Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award 2025 goes to Zehra Ömeroğlu (Türkiye) – @zehraomerovna.bsky.social
Watch a film about her case on our website.
cartoonistsrights.org/award-2025
Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award 2025 Zehra Ömeroğlu (Türkiye) Criminally prosecuted for “obscenity” over a cartoon in Türkiye’s LeMan humor magazine in the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic, cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
May 6, 2025 at 12:54 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
The Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award 2025 goes to Zehra Ömeroğlu (Türkiye). Full statement on our website.
cartoonistsrights.org/award-2025
Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award 2025 Zehra Ömeroğlu (Türkiye) Criminally prosecuted on an “obscenity” charge over a cartoon that appeared in LeMan humor magazine in 2020, Ömeroğlu faces a three year prison sentence if found guilty. The next court hearing is June 26th.
May 6, 2025 at 12:10 AM
cartoonistsrights.org
As National Cartoonists’ Day draws to a close, our panel event in DC this evening will culminate in the announcement of the Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award 2025.
cartoonistsrights.org/wpfd-2025
“Who will win the Robert Russell Courage in Cartooning Award 2025” Marking World Press Freedom Day May 5th 19.00EST Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship Syracuse University – Washington, DC cartoonistsrights.org/wpfd-2025
May 5, 2025 at 9:39 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
It’s National Cartoonists’ Day in the USA and, globally, a day of action for Press Freedom. Later today we’ll focus on both at our special event in DC.
cartoonistsrights.org/wpfd-2025
"Cartooning Would-Be Kings" Making World Press Freedom Day May 5th 19.00EST Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship Syracuse University – Washington, DC cartoonistsrights.org/wpfd-2025
May 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
cartoonistsrights.org
The pen can provoke, defend, and inspire. On #WorldPressFreedomDay, we salute cartoonists—and tonight, a courageous cartoonist will be honored with the Robert Russell Award. #PressFreedom #CourageToDraw #IDJC
Cartooning Would-Be Kings. Marking World Press Freedom Day. An event held by the IDJC at Syracuse University, Washington DC. May 5th 19.00 EST
May 5, 2025 at 1:55 PM