Report on the situation of threatened artoonists around the world 2020-2022
"What is the reason for a cartoonist to be facing a military court?" (Emad Hajjaj, Jordan)
Table of contents
Introduction ..................................................................................2
Foreword ......................................................................................3
Acknowledgements...................................................................... 4
Overview ......................................................................................5
Censorship: cartooning and power ...............................................7
Censorship: from bad to worse..................................................... 9
Hate speech: “online violence is real-world violence”................. 12
Online challenges: trolling, disinformation and manipulation.......16
Criminalisation: the new normal...................................................18
Displacement: the last resort .......................................................23
Conclusions & recommendations ............................................... 26
Notes & references ..................................................................... 29
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| Marco De ANGELIS |
This publication has received support from UNESCO’s Global Media Defence Fund (UNESCO/GMDF). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this publication and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organisation
Cover design: Hassan (Iran)
Back cover design: L’Andalou (Algeria)
Graphics: Suzanne Grossmann
© Cartooning for Peace & Cartoonists Rights, 2023, all rights reserved
Introduction
Cartooning for Peace has a mission to defend fundamental freedoms and democracy via cartoons as well as freedom of expression of cartoonists.
Cartoonists Rights Network International (Cartoonists Rights for short) campaigns to protect the human rights of cartoonists and defend those threatened as a result of their work.
Given their shared interest, and reflecting their continuous joint effort to support cartoonists, the two organisations have worked together, through their monitoring and support work, on the production of this report, which identifies the main challenges cartoonists face in terms of freedom of expression.
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| Kak, (France) On the map: backward step for democracy The character: You'll see ıt'll be my fault again |
The report covers a three-year period, from 2020 until 2022 (with a very few exceptions that provide salient and illustrative examples). While this report is based on case studies within the period, it may be developed and expanded upon by further reports in the future.
“Cartoonists on the line” is a joint product of Cartooning for Peace (France) and Cartoonists Rights (USA) with support from Freedom Cartoonists Foundation (Switzerland), Isocrates Foundation (Switzerland) and the UNESCO Global Media Defence Fund (UNESCO-GMDF).
"Pandemics, the internet swamp, wars, the threat of terrorism... The period 2020-2022 will have provided autocrats with solid pretexts for tightening their regulations and muzzling dissident voices, including press cartoonists. Russia, Turkey, Algeria, Afghanistan, Iran, Cuba, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines... And perhaps the most worrying: Narendra Modi’s India, the “world’s largest democracy”, which seems to be closing in on the values of Hindu nationalism by muzzling all forms of criticism. Freedom of expression continues to shrink along with the democratic space."
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| Matt Wuarker, (USA) |
"These are not easy times for journalists and the free press, and that goes double for the courageous cartoonists with whom we work, speaking truth to power, many times under the heel of some the most despotic and humourless bullies imaginable. This report shines a much-needed spotlight on these brave individuals who are standing up for the right to free speech and the principle of free expression around the world. I want to give a note of great thanks to Terry Anderson, our Executive Director, as well as to our partners at the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation for their continuing support."
Matt Wuerker,
President, Cartoonists Rights
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| Tjeerd ROYAARDS, (Netherlands) |
Foreword
Although this report is the result of all the cases of infringement identified and monitored by Cartooning for Peace and Cartoonists Rights, it makes no claim to be comprehensive. Although the partners regularly monitor the situation and benefit from the invaluable support of their respective networks of cartoonists, media contacts, and partner organisations in identifying convincing cases of infringement of cartoonists’ freedom of expression, it is impossible to have assured knowledge of all cases, for a number of reasons. Naturally, and despite our best efforts, some cartoonists simply won’t know about us or our respective missions, and we will not know them. Also, some cartoonists will not report their problems, preferring to deal with their situation on their own, often for security reasons. These reasons may also compel us not to openly acknowledge a given cartoonist whom we know to be in danger; in many cases, the public interventions of outsiders, even those with good intentions, are not helpful.
Any such gaps notwithstanding, this collaborative and compilatory work allows us to address recurring trends, offer testimony and add the perspectives of members within our wider community of journalists, artists and human rights defenders.
We will continue to make ourselves available and to provide the most appropriate assistance to any cartoonist requiring support, and to keep ourselves as well-informed as possible, so that the voice of these “foot soldiers of freedom of expression” is always heard.
The partners also wish to clarify the nomenclature chosen for certain geographical areas. While firmly committed to recognising the African continent as a whole, and making the distinction between Northern and so-called Sub-Saharan Africa presents difficulties, the partners have adopted a classification of countries in line with that used by other partner organisations in their reporting, specifically the MENA (Middle East & Northern Africa) zone.
To contact us:
Cartoonists Rights:
via secure messaging:
info@cartoonistsrights.org
Cartooning for Peace:
contact@cartooningforpeace.org
or via secure messaging:
cartooningforsupport@protonmail.com
This content by Cartoons Turkey produced