Translation. Top text:"Reduction of electricity loads" (or "Scheduled power cuts"). On the train sign: "Monorail". This is a criticism of the country's energy situation with continuous power cuts and infrastructure priorities in Egypt.
Alan Gardner reports in The Daily Cartoonist. Cartoonist Ashraf Omar will be tried in an Egyptian court from 10 May. Ashraf has been detained since 22 July 2024 on four charges. A month later, his wife, Nada Mougheeth, accused the Egyptian authorities of torturing him during what she considered to be an enforced disappearance. She in turn was also arrested and interrogated after speaking to a journalist about her husband's detention and alleged ill-treatment.
According to his lawyer, three of the charges have been dropped, but the prosecution has added a new one and will proceed with the terrorism-related charges.
The initial charges were: (1) membership of a terrorist group, (2) financing a terrorist group, (3) publishing ideas and beliefs that incite the commission of terrorist acts, (4) publishing false statements on the internal affairs of the country with the aim of undermining the state and disturbing public peace and security.
Charges 1, 3 and 4 have been dropped and a new charge of"collaboration with a terrorist group in the pursuit of its objectives" has been added.
Translation:"Egypt creates a committee to liquidate state assets to raise 25 billion Egyptian pounds (EGP) annually". The cartoon addresses the economic crisis and the sale of state assets depicted as a thief selling the country (depicted as his map) to an Arab sheikh who appears with a shopping trolley.
According to The Daily cartoonist's note, which does not cite the source, it is claimed that they have gathered more information about his initial interrogation and that after being "detained at a security checkpoint set up in the vicinity of his home" (according to the official report) or "arrested at his home" (according to Ashraf's version), he was questioned about the cash seized at his home and about his translation work for the daily "Al-Arabi Post", and was shown several cartoons.
Ashraf confirmed that he was the author and that the cartoons were published on the "Al-Arabi Post" website. The two colour cartoons were previously known to be related to his arrest, but these other three, in black and white, are new "evidence" that investigators used to interrogate him.
Vignette without words. Criticism of the cost of living and basic services (such as electricity). A family is shown in front of a plate with two light bulbs for food and an empty fridge in the background.
Translation. Title: "Nueva Ley de Establecimientos Sanitarios"(New Law on Health Establishments). Sandwich:"Loosen your dough to get through, countryman" (or "Pay if you want to get through"). Here Ashraf denounces the consequences of new legislation in Egypt that allows the private sector to run public hospitals.
Translation:"Have a good year" (or simply "Happy New Year"). Possibly published on an important date. This is understood as the political and economic oppression faced by workers in Egypt.
Humour in trouble, a collection of cases
Cases of cartoonists who have had problems of some importance because of their cartoons or satirical illustrations. There are also some stories of other people who, without being cartoonists, have got into trouble for sharing them.
