Syrian Cartoonist Beaten for Assad's Depiction

BY JONATHAN KETZ



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The most well known cartoonist in the country is currently ‘bloodied’ and recovering in a hospital. This---after Syrian forces reportedly beat him up.

Amateur video shows people huddling around the cartoonist after the beating. Ferzat appears to be dazed and confused in this video. Euronews reports on the incident.

“Human rights activists say that the prominent cartoonist and Assad critic Ali Ferzat has been beaten up in Damascus by armed men and then dumped in the street. He was taken to the hospital suffering bruises to his face and hands.�

Ali Ferzat recently came out with drawings poking fun at President Bashar al-Assad -- and some analysts are suggesting his work -- could be directly related to the incident. Al Jazeera takes a look at some of the drawings.

“Here’s president Assad hitching a ride with Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi trying to get away in a get away car.�

So was this a ballsy move or was Ferzat ‘poking at the bear?’ That would be nothing new for Ferzat. The cartoonist is known for characterizing leaders like Sadaam Husein and Moammar Gaddafi. Here’s a look at Ferzat’s other drawings.

“In this cartoon, he pokes fun at the government’s offers of dialogue that continues with the crackdown of Bashar al-Assad’s there offering a cup of tee to a man...while he’s being beaten. And here a member of the security forces has crossed out the word ‘democracy’ and replacing instead with the word ‘bloodocracy.’�

One questions that remains---where was President Assad during all of this? State television showed images of Assad the same day reports surfaced. Fox News has the latest on the president.

“Syrian TV showed President Bashar Assad hosting a meal toward Islamic leaders and blamed the morals of Syrian society for for the country’s crisis.�

Masked forces reportedly grabbed Ferzat off the streets and took him into a van. Sources say forces targeted Ferzat’s hands---so that he won’t be able to draw anymore. Assad is not believed to have commented on the issue. I’m Jonathan Ketz for Newsy. Multiple sources. The real story.



Transcript by Newsy.

1. By: newsydotcom
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4. Added :26-Aug-11
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