Refugee cartoonist recieves award for courage

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – An Iranian refugee at the Manus Island regional processing centre in Papua New Guinea has been given an international award for his work as a cartoonist.

The 25-year old refugee named Ali, known as ‘Eaten Fish’, has won the 2016 Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning from Cartoonists Rights Network International.

Ali has been held on Manus for three years after being forcibly transferred there by Australia, and has documented the harsh realities of the processing centre through his cartoons.

Ali’s cartoons document the harsh realities of the processing centre.

His work, which portrays his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder, has been published in the Guardian.

Cartoonists Rights Network International applauded Ali for his courage in “documenting the unspeakable abuses and excesses of the guards and offiicals of the camp”. - RNZI