As part of its “Enhancing legal support to press cartoonists in the digital age” (2022-2024) project, Cartooning for Peace is joining forces with the “Tough Laugh” project. A project about press cartoonists and the dangers they face to make us laugh – and think.
Update, January 4, 2021
The Criminal Magistrate’s Court of Amman (Jordan) decides to cease the prosecution of cartoonist Emad Hajjaj.
Cartooning for Peace welcomes the court’s decision, taken at a hearing on 23 December 2020, to drop charges against the cartoonist for “contempt of a president of a foreign country against the provisions of 122/1 of the Penal Code” following the publication of the opposite cartoon .
The Public Prosecutor’s Office may appeal against this decision within 60 days of the date of issue of the decision (i.e. 23 December 2020).
CFP welcomes the court’s willingness to uphold the principles of freedom of expression enshrined in the Kingdom of Jordan’s Constitution and wishes the cartoonist a speedy resolution of this difficult event. The association reminds us that this welcome news should not make us forget that, at the beginning of this year, many cartoonists around the world are still subject to threats, prosecutions or prison sentences for cartoons they made.
Update, August 31, 2020
Emad Hajjaj was released on bail on Sunday 30 August, but remains suspended to the Supreme Court’s decision.
Update, August 30, 2020.
Cartooning for Peace welcomes the release from prison of cartoonist Emad Hajjaj, which took place this Sunday, August 30, 2020.
The State Security Court, specialized among other things in dealing with high treason and terrorism cases, considered itself incompetent to handle the case and released the cartoonist on bail.
His file was handed over to the General Prosecutor of Amman and the charges against him were also requalified. He now faces between 6 months and 2 years in prison for “slander and libel”.
The schedule of the trial remains unknown and Cartooning for Peace will continue to follow the progress of the case.
Although it is a relief to know the cartoonist free, the association remains mobilized for Emad and demands the complete abandonment of the charges against the cartoonist.
August 28, 2020
August 26, 2020
The Jordanian cartoonist Emad Hajjaj arrested
Cartooning for Peace joins the solidarity efforts and demands the release of the cartoonist, member of his network and president of the Jordanian Cartoonists’ Association.
The Jordanian cartoonist, Emad Hajjaj, was arrested by the Jordanian authorities after the publication of a cartoon related to the signing of the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, published by Al Araby and subsequently posted on the artist’s website and social networks. The publication on social networks has since disappeared.
According to Nidal Mansour (screenshot below), head of the Jordanian Center for the Protection and Freedom of Journalists, the cartoonist was arrested for obstructing the Jordanian Information Systems and Cybercrime Law of 2015. An arrest that Emad Hajjaj’s brother, Osama, a cartoonist himself, confirmed. According to Reporters Without Borders, the publications of online newspapers or those of citizen journalists on social networks are punishable by prison sentences and lead to pre-trial detention in case of prosecution under this law. The cartoonist was taken to a court this morning to be heard.
Cartooning for Peace is mobilizing to give its full support to Emad Hajjaj and calls for his immediate release No artist can be arrested for the realization of a cartoon.
