“Whoa, lashings for drawing a cartoon? I would think it was time to relocate. Seriously, it’s a cartoon, I will never understand the outrageous penalties in foreign lands for drawing certain images. I consider that blasphemy on Artistic Freedom,” said Cartoonist Michael Pohrer (MJ)
Many people say you get the government you deserve. The people of Iran must have done something really bad to deserve their current government.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prances around stamping his little feet when he doesn’t get his own way, threatening to wipe Israel off the map, and now it seems that fun has been canceled altogether.
When Iranian cartoonist, Mahmoud Shokraiyeh, drew a cartoon of a local MP, Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani, wearing a football jersey, Ashtiani freaked out.
Mahmoud Shokraiyeh was hauled before the court, and Judge Edalatkhah, in The Press Court of the Province, sentenced the cartoonist to 25 lashes.
The cartoon, depicting Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani as a dorky, overweight footballer, wearing a red strip, standing on a ball, must have hit a nerve in the MP.
Neither the MP, nor the judge were amused, and soon, neither will Mahmoud Shokraiyeh.
Iranian judges seem to like inflicting pain on people, because this kind of harsh ruling is not uncommon, according to the report on the sentencing, published by The Green Voice.
The Green Voice of Freedom also reports that Iranian artist Mana Neyestani produced his own cartoon of the tyrant MP Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani, after delivering 25 lashes to the cartoonist. Mana Neyestani has previously been imprisoned for his work.
