Mohammed Cartoon Reprinters Sentenced to Jail

Two journalists in Jordan have become the first persons officially punished for their role in the reprinting of the now famous Mohammed cartoons. The cartoons, originally published in a Dutch newspaper and then republished in many other countries and on-line, were met with many protests throughout the Muslim world. Some of the protests turned violent.

From Reporters Without Borders.

Reporters Without Borders protested today against two-month jail sentences imposed yesterday by a Jordanian court on two journalists, Jihad Momani and Hisham Al-Khalidi, for reprinting cartoons of the prophet Mohammed that appeared in a Danish paper last year and expressed concern about journalists being harshly punished for doing so.

“This is the first time journalists have been given prison sentences for reproducing the cartoons,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said. “The sentences are totally out of proportion. We hope they will be reduced on appeal. We urge other Muslim countries where journalists are being prosecuted for this not to follow Jordan’s example. Journalists must not be punished for their editorial decisions. The two journalists in this case were simply doing their job by choosing to reproduce the cartoons, like dozens of other media outlets around the world.”

Fear of the violent mob led to these charges and the sentence. One can only wonder whether the mob will allow this to suffice.

Thanks to Right Nation.