Earlier this week, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Cartooning for Peace called out the detention and torture of Egyptian cartoonist Ashraf Omar after he was arrested over a month ago. 32 other rights and press freedom organizations signed on the letter, condemning the recent arrests and enforced disappearance of four Egyptian journalists — Ashraf Omar, Khaled Mamdouh, Ramadan Gouida, and Yasser Abu Al-Ela — and called for their immediate release.

The AAEC unequivocally supports this stand and put out 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.”