Satire on trial: 

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) invites you to a timely and urgent discussion on the escalating crackdown against Leman, one of Turkey’s most prominent satirical magazines, and what this case reveals about the broader assault on media freedom, artistic expression, and independent journalism in Turkey.

Following the publication of a cartoon in its June 26 issue, Leman has faced an intense and coordinated campaign of judicial, economic, and physical repression. The cartoon, which depicted two men named Muhammad and Moses greeting each other above a bombed city, was meant as a critique of Israeli attacks on Gaza, but was swiftly condemned by political and religious figures as offensive. Violent protests, social media outrage, and state-led legal action quickly followed.

By early July, four Leman staff members had been arrested, including the magazine’s editor-in-chief, cartoonist, and graphic designer, facing charges of “inciting hatred” and “insulting religious values.” A financial investigation was launched, the June 26 issue was confiscated, and Leman’s website was banned nationwide.

This alarming episode represents yet another attack on freedom of expression in Turkey, part of a wider pattern of censorship and judicial harassment.