Image | ‘Unity donkey' cartoon on Iranian President Pezeshkian lands artist Hadi Heidari in legal trouble

A cartoon depicting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has landed a Tehran-based artist in legal trouble, according to reports. The Tehran prosecutor’s office filed criminal charges against cartoonist Hadi Heydari for publishing a cartoon described as "insulting to the Iranian people."

The cartoon that was posted on Heidari’s social media page last week showed Pezeshkian riding a donkey labeled  “unity”, referring to one of his campaign slogans.

Some of the terms Pezeshkian used during his campaign include "National Unity," "Government of National Unity," and "Cabinet of National Unity". Over time, these slogans have faded into the background, and critics say behavior reflects his distancing from his allies.

A report that appeared in state-backed Mizan News Agency said a case has been filed against the cartoonist for his “insulting work.” He has also been summoned to the Tehran Prosecutor's Office.

The cartoon also evoked the humorous story of Mullah Nasruddin, who rode a donkey backwards.

After his cartoon sparked controversy, Heidari deleted it from his social media pages and gave an explanation for the same. "Yesterday, a cartoon was published criticising a bill that was recently sent to the parliament by the government. Unfortunately, this metaphor has been portrayed by some in a way that contradicts the image's intent, which has created the ground for abuse,” his post read.

The 48-year-old political cartoonist’s work has appeared in major Iranian newspapers. He is also a painter and a journalist.

This isn’t the first that Heidari has triggered a row with his artistic work. Earlier, he faced a complaint from Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, for painting a realistic portrait of him, which was published on the front page of the Sazandegi newspaper. Between 2009 and 2016, he was arrested several times and imprisoned in Evin Prison for publishing cartoons in newspapers inside Iran.

 

Middle East