LeMan cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu, sued over 'sex in the pandemic' cartoon, speaks to 12punto: 'The lawsuit is quite ridiculous'

12punto.com.tr / Exclusive

The cartoon titled "Sex in the Pandemic," drawn by Zehra Ömeroğlu and published in LeMan Magazine in 2020, was found to be "contrary to public morality" by the Board for the Protection of Minors from Harmful Publications.

Following this development, an indictment was prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

'I WANT JUSTICE TO BE SERVED'

Speaking about the legal process, cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu stated, "The case was postponed to September 26 because the judge was excused. The ridiculousness of the case itself has overshadowed the cartoon. According to what is it obscene, for example? It is quite sad to be in the news for this type of thing. My greatest wish is for justice to be served."

'WHOSE MORALITY IS PUBLIC MORALITY?'

Cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu, who is facing the lawsuit, had said the following regarding the report in recent weeks:

"The report that reached the court is flawed and arbitrary. It is flawed because the things said to be in the image are not in the cartoon. There is no pornographic element in the drawing. It is arbitrary because it is not clear what it defines as obscene.

I cannot believe that five people who prepared the report sat down and seriously decided whether this cartoon was obscene or not.

The report mentions 'public morality.' Whose morality is public morality? In a place where so much immorality is clearly visible, is this cartoon what ruins public morality? Is public morality so fragile and shaky that it can be ruined by a cartoon?"