Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI) has announced they are awarding their 2012 Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award to Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat and Aseem Trivedi, from India. CNRI is dedicated to defending the human rights of cartoonists who are threatened due to their work. Ali gained international notoriety after Syrian government thugs tried to silence him by kidnapping and beating him – especially his hands – and left him to die. Aseem launched a website called “Cartoons Against Corruption” to mobilize fellow citizens against his country’s corruption and filled the site with anti-corruption cartoons. He was charged with treason and insulting national symbols.
The award will be give during the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists convention in September in Washington DC.