ALERT
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A cartoonists attacked in Pakistan:
Here we copy an "Alert" from IFEX, attributed to our
colleagues at Reporters sans Frontieres.
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ALERT - PAKISTAN
28 May 2007 Nighttime attack on home of cartoonist Muhammad Zahoor SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris (RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders condemns an attack by gunmen on the Peshawar home of "Daily Times" cartoonist Muhammad Zahoor at around 2 a.m. (local time) on 25 May 2007. The attackers tried to break in after Zahoor, wary of the danger, refused to open the door when they rang the bell. But a watchman intervened, and the intruders fled in a car with tinted windows. As they left, they fired shots at the watchman, who was not hit. Zahoor and the watchman reported the attack to the police, who are investigating. Four-time winner of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society's annual best cartoonist award, Zahoor has drawn many cartoons in recent weeks on the chief justice of the Supreme Court's dismissal. Reporters Without Borders has also protested a grenade attack on the home of Nasrullah Afridi, the correspondent for the Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" in the Khyber Agency tribal areas. Three grenades were thrown on 26 May at his family's home in Hayatabad, near Peshawar, causing damage to the property but no injuries (see previous IFEX alert of 28 May 2007). "The attack was clearly a direct result of the death threats made against Afridi five days earlier by the head of Lashkar-i-islam," the press freedom organisation said. "We call on the local authorities to give him adequate protection. We also call for the immediate closure of the illegal FM radio stations used by the extremist leader to broadcast his hate messages." For further information, contact Vincent Brossel at RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 70, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: asie@rsf.org , Internet: http://www.rsf.org The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF. |
| Subject: /Austria-Politics/Russia/Denmark/ ROUNDUP: Danish activist detained in Vienna over anti-Putin posters Vienna (dpa) - Artist Jan Egesborg, a member of the Danish political satire-group "Surrend," was released after being detained by Vienna police on Tuesday when putting up posters ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to the Austrian capital. Surrend spokeswoman Pia Bertelsen told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa Bertelsen had been released from custody, but all his materials had been confiscated. "The charges against him have been dropped. The district attorney saw that it was an art project and released him," Bertelsen said. Egesborg was originally facing charges of instigating a criminal act. Egesborg was setting up the posters in a central Vienna square a when he was surrounded by approximately 20 policemen and detained, the artist said earlier in a phonecall from police custody. The German-language posters posed the ironic question whether Putin was shooting journalists, but with the layout done in a way that the words "shoot Putin" stand out prominently and the rest of the text is in small print. Egesborg had announced earlier that the satire group wanted to draw attention to the "disdain of freedom of opinion" in Putin's Russia. The Kremlin leader is due to arrive in Vienna on Wednesday. Previous activities by Surrend included Nazi-style posters in Berlin decrying the success of the neo-Nazi NDP in German provincial polls, and an ad in an Iranian paper allegedly supporting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nuclear plans, but in reality spelling out the word "swine." |
THREAT AND ATTACK TO
CARTOONIST HUSEYIN CAKMAK*
Cartoonist Huseyin Cakmak
first threatened and later attacked.
Huseyin Cakmak had criticized Lefkosa-Turkish Mayor Cemal Bulutoglulari because
of his environmentally unfriendly policies in the "Afrika" newspaper
Following this criticism, the mayor had threatened and insulted Mr. Cakmak on
the phone.
Huseyin Cakmak reported the phone conversation and the mayor's insults in the
Afrika Newspaper.
Shortly after this report, on the evening of January 31, 2007, while he was
looking for a pharmacy for his sick wife and 7 year old daughter, he was
attacked by individuals of unknown identity who threw stones and eggs at his car
in Lefkosa. After Huseyin Cakmak entered a pharmacy to buy the medicine, the
same individuals approached his car and began to harass his family.
The attackers also
followed Cakmak's car on his way home. Huseyin Cakmak noted the license plate
number of the attacker's vehicle and provided all details about the incidence to
the police.
The Afrika Newspaper published an article about the event on February 1, 2007
which reads as follows: "Who could have been behind this? We looked at his last
writings in the newspaper. He was arguing with Lefkosa-Turkish Mayor Mr. Cemal
Bulutoğluları.
Mr. Cakmak had received some threats and insults on the phone from Mr.
Bulutoglulari...
Last night, when our friend Cakmak gave an explanation to the police we called
the Lefkosa-Turkish Mayor Cemal Bulutluoglu and told him about the event.
We wondered if he had an idea about this event.
Mr. Bulutluoglu gave us very short and clear answer: "You know I have a lot of
supporters in Lefkosa. You think one of them got angry after reading these
writings in the newspaper?"
You can interpret this in any way you like..." Huseyin Ekmekçi, a writer of the
Yeni Duzen Newspaper, published in the North Cyprus, wrote on February 2, 2007:
"Our cartoonist friend Huseyin Cakmak has been the victim of a highly unpleasant
attack a few days ago.
It was really a nasty situation. While he was looking for a pharmacy for his
sick wife, some people walked over to him.
Lefkosa-Turkish Mayor Cemal Bulutoğluları follows the press...
He likes writings that praise him. But he can not tolerate critics.
I got a taste of his anger twice... I couldn't get any chance to speak to him
like dear Cakmak...
Cemal Bulutoğluları opened the phone, attacked me and hung up.
He had cursed to me once in person, too..."
Huseyin Cakmak doesn't have any safety for his life and it is necessary to
inform the world public opinion about this terrible event. We request your
support and solidarity messages. Please, also pass on this news to others.
*Huseyin Cakmak
President of the Turkish Cypriot Cartoonists Association
FECO Cyprus Representative
1989 European Council Award Winner
CLICK FOR MORE RECENT ALERTS
For further information contact:
Dr. Robert Russell
Executive Director
Cartoonists Rights Network, International
10600 Alison Drive
Burke, VA 22015 USA
Phone/Fax: 703 250 0035
crni