Cartoonist Ramón Esono Ebalé wins CRNI award

3 Nov 2017 | Artistic Freedom, News and features

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”96393″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Cartoonist Ramón Esono Ebalé has been named the winner of the 2017 Cartoonists Rights Network International Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning.

An outspoken and gifted graphic novelist and cartoonist, Ebalé is imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea’s notorious Black Beach prison under as yet unspecified charges.

“The Equatorial Guinean government, one of the most notorious kleptocracies in Africa, is clearly angered by his outspoken comic and cartoon based criticism of the ruling family,” Joel Pett, president of the CRNI board of directors, wrote in a statement accouncing the award.

Ebalé, alias Jamon y Queso, was arrested on 16 September in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. He was initially questioned by security agents in relation to his cartoons that are critical of President Obiang and other government officials. News outlets reported a few days later that he is being investigated for alleged money laundering and counterfeiting money.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”96264″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2017/10/exhibition-repressive-governments-world-fear-cartoonists/”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Exhibition: Repressive governments the world over fear cartoonists

Repressive governments the world over fear cartoonists. Cartoonists get straight to the point. Join Index, CRNI and the UK’s Professional Cartoonists Organisation for an exploration of cartooning.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Don’t lose your voice. Stay informed.” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator color=”black”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Index on Censorship is a nonprofit that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide. We publish work by censored writers and artists, promote debate, and monitor threats to free speech. We believe that everyone should be free to express themselves without fear of harm or persecution – no matter what their views.

Join our mailing list (or follow us on Twitter or Facebook) and we’ll send you our weekly newsletter about our activities defending free speech. We won’t share your personal information with anyone outside Index.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][gravityform id=”20″ title=”false” description=”false” ajax=”false”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator color=”black”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Exhibition: Repressive governments the world over fear cartoonists

26 Oct 2017 | Events

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Private view, charity sale

When: Tuesday 21 November 6-8pm
Where: Westminster Reference Library, 35 St Martin’s Street, London WC2H 7HP
Tickets: Free. Registration required via [email protected]

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Exhibition

When: 21 November to 7 December, Mon – Fri 10am to 8pm, Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun Closed
Where: Westminster Reference Library, 35 St Martin’s Street, London WC2H 7HP
Tickets: Free.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Workshop

With Banx Cartoons and The Surreal McCoy
When: Saturday 25 November 2-4pm
Where: Westminster Reference Library, 35 St Martin’s Street, London WC2H 7HP
Tickets: Free. Registration required via Eventbrite.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Cartoons and censorship 

A discussion with cartoonist Andy Davey, Jodie Ginsberg of Index on Censorship, Guardian and Index on Censorship magazine cartoonist Martin Rowson and via video link:  Malaysian cartoonist Zunar and Robert Russell, Cartoonists Rights Network International.
When: Tuesday 28 November 6-8pm
Where: Westminster Reference Library, 35 St Martin’s Street, London WC2H 7HP
Tickets: Free. Registration required via Eventbrite.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]Join the UK’s Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation, Cartoonists’ Rights Network International and Index on Censorship – to try to bring the plight of persecuted cartoonists to the fore.

Repressive governments the world over fear cartoonists. Cartoonists get straight to the point.

Images remain in the public eye longer than do acres of type. While we in the UK and Europe generally accept often excoriating depictions of our leaders, this is definitely not the case in the rest of the world. Here, politicians actually applaud critical and often insulting drawings of themselves, sometimes even assembling personal collections thereof. Not so elsewhere. In at least one verified instance, a foreign cartoonist was visited by government agents and had his hands broken. Doubtless there are others.

Repressive governments, fearful of the truth, regularly imprison cartoonists.

This exhibition seeks to do that. Whilst it is not easy to highlight a repressive government’s treatment of any given cartoonist because that government will often react by threatening the cartoonist’s family and friends, any and all proceeds from this exhibition will go towards trying to alleviate the conditions many cartoonists the world over have to live with.

 

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