Earlier this morning, 34 international organizations representing freedom of press, speech and journalism released a statement condemning Egypts detention of cartoonist Ashraf Omar along with other journalists. The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) released the following statement:
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists condemns in the strongest possible terms the arrest and detention of Ashraf Omar, a cartoonist for the independent news outlet Al-Manassa.
Mr. Omar was arrested on July 22, 2024, and taken to an unknown location for two days. He appeared before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) on July 24, where he was charged with offenses that include joining a terrorist group with knowledge of its purposes, spreading false news, and misusing social media. Mr. Omar was also detained along with three other Egyptian journalists.
Mr. Omar’s wife said he was tortured, beaten, and threatened with electric shocks.
Freedom of expression for editorial cartoonists and all journalists should be sacrosanct in a civilized society, and the brutal treatment to which Mr. Omar was subjected is antithetical to any moral state entity. This is state terrorism, pure and simple. This amoral behavior is contrary to any sane administration of justice.
Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
