LiberPress Award 2015

Charlie Hebdo is a progressive, left-wing, satirical weekly French magazine founded in 1992 as the successor to the famous Hara-Kiri and Hara-Kiri Hebdo, known as a “bête et méchant” magazine, published from 1969 to 1981. Charlie owes its name to Charlie Brown, Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” character. It has been worked on by the best artists and cartoonists, including Cavanna, Delfeil de Ton, Siné, Gébé, Willem, Wolinski, Cabu, Charb, Oncle Bernard, Renaud, Luz, Riss, and Tignous…

During its existence it has been subject to numerous legal and media trials and its irreverent treatment of religions has made it the focus of the debate into freedom of expression. It has suffered two attacks: The first, in 2011, was with Molotov cocktails, and the second, and most serious, was on January 7, 2015, when two Jihadist terrorists killed twelve people, including the cartoonists Cabu, Tignous Wolinski and Charb (the latter two friends designed the LiberPress posters for the years 2000 and 2002 respectively). Its current editor is the cartoonist Riss. The cover of the first edition after the attacks showed a cartoon of Mohammed with a tear in his eye and the caption “All is forgiven”. It sold more than seven million copies. The phrase “Je suis Charlie” became a slogan in demonstrations against the attacks and in favour of freedom of expression.