Iranian woman sentenced to nearly 13 years in jail over satirical cartoons

Atena Farghadani, 28, was accused of “insulting members of parliament through paintings” and “spreading propaganda against the system,” according to Amnesty International

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: June 12, 2024 2:12pm

Tehran’s Revolutionary Court sentenced an Iranian woman to 12 years and 9 months in prison for sketching satirical cartoons of Iranian lawmakers.

The cartoonist, Atena Farghadani, 28, was accused of “insulting members of parliament through paintings” and “spreading propaganda against the system,” according to Amnesty International.

Her trial in Iran began in May.

The Times of Israel reported that Farghadani was charged with "caricaturing government ministers as animals and roasting officials for restricting birth control and contraception in the Islamic Republic."