Cartoonists Protest Ruling Against One of Their Own

Mahmood Shokraiyeh, a cartoonist from the city of Arak, was sentenced to 25 lashes for drawing his local MP, Ahmad Lotfi, in a football jersey published in Name-ye Amir weekly. The verdict triggered a wave of outrage inside and outside Iran. Mana Neyestani, an Iranian cartoonist living in exile, called on his colleagues to join a campaign drawing cartoons of the parliamentarian. Many have contributed. Amnesty International has also condemned the sentence and called for its annulment:

“Mahmoud Shokraye’s brutal sentence, just for drawing a harmless cartoon, sends a chilling message to all Iranians that they cannot freely and peacefully express their views without the fear of facing harsh reprisals from the Iranian authorities. This is yet one more example of the Iranian authorities’ relentless attack on freedom of expression….”

UPDATE: The suit against the cartoonist was dropped and his sentence repealed.