TEHRAN – The closing ceremony of the first International Cartoon and Poster Contest “Terror Online” was held on the evening of January 5 at the Art Bureau in Tehran.

The first edition of the contest concluded with the announcement of the winners of the cartoon, poster, and special Yemen sections.

Speaking at the beginning of the ceremony, Masoud Shojai Tabatabai, the secretary of the event, said: “In the poster section, we focused on the concept of the assassination of resistance commanders in cyberspace. The cartoon section was dedicated to platforms and digital services that claim to support freedom of expression, but in practice, we witness a clear double standard.

“These are platforms that allow insults to divine prophets, especially the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), under the pretext of freedom of expression, yet when it comes to issues such as the voices of the oppressed people of the world, particularly the oppressed people of Gaza, we see extensive censorship, pressure, and the removal of online pages,” he added.

“Based on this, it was necessary to challenge this issue through two international languages, cartoon and graphic design, and to present this concept through cultured figures from around the world using a universal visual language,” Shojai Tabatabai noted.

According to the secretary, the event was realized with the participation of distinguished and capable artists from 61 countries.

“Our sole objective in this contest was to prepare the ground for the works that are genuinely being censored to be seen,” he emphasized.

Tara Reynor O'Grady from Ireland, who was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza, was also present at the event. Addressing the audience, she said: “I want you to know that I deeply express my sorrow for the martyrdom of those who lost their lives. I was personally shocked when I heard the news of the martyrdom of Haj Qassem Soleimani. At that time, I could not share my grief, but now I can share this sorrow with you.”

“I had the honor of attending the funeral of Seyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. I carried the Irish flag with me there because my country is a revolutionary country. At that time, I faced anger and backlash in the Irish media. The blood we have shed on this path has not been cheap, and we have made many sacrifices. It is painful to witness these killings and this genocide,” she added.

“I ask you that in the next phase, when the Sumud Flotilla sets sail in the spring, you create your artistic productions and graphic works with your own hands, because this will be a great support for us. It gives me great joy to say that I intend to once again move with the Sumud Flotilla and help break the siege of Gaza. Long live Palestine,” she asserted.

She was honored by Zeynab Soleimani, Haj Qassem’s daughter, who presented her with a keffiyeh from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and a symbol of Al-Quds Al-Sharif.

Later at the ceremony, the winners of the contest were announced. In the cartoon section, Mahdieh Sabbaghkar and Amir Dehghan from Iran, Mikail Çiftçi from Türkiye, Izabela Kowalska from Poland, and Marko Ivic from Croatia were recognized as honorable mentions. In the same section, Ares from Cuba won third place, Mahmoud Nazari from Iran won second place, and Quinho Ravelli from Brazil won first place.

The special Yemeni Dagger Award was presented to Hussein Kassir from Lebanon, Ibrahim Hakkak from Iraq, and Ali Hayati from Iran.

Yemeni Dagger, also known as jambiya, is a short dagger worn by men in Yemen. It represents strength, gratitude, and sacred defense. It is more than a blade; across centuries and cultures, it has been a symbol of courage, authority, protection, and will to face life's threats.

A ring from the family of Haj Qassem Soleimani was presented to Yemeni artist Kamal Sharaf, and a Yemeni agate ring was presented to Iranian graphic designer Masoud Nejatabati.

In the poster section, Reza Farahani, Abolfazl Karimi, Mahdieh Ghasemi, and Seyed Mohammadreza Miri from Iran and Muzaffar Yulchiboev from Uzbekistan were named as honorable mentions. The third-place award went to Mohammad Ghelichkhani, the second-place award to Mikail Barati, and the first-place award to Omid Kordi, all three from Iran.

For this year’s edition of the contest, more than 426 artists submitted 1,835 works from 61 countries, a figure that places this event among the most prestigious international competitions.

From Asia alone, 270 artists participated, along with 85 from Europe and a significant number from Latin America. Artists from Africa and North America also took part. Iran had the highest participation with 175 artists, followed by Indonesia and Turkey.

The prizes were one of the strengths of the contest. The first prize was €2,000, the second prize was €1,500, and five €500 awards were designated for each section. In total, €14,000 in cash prizes were awarded to the selected works. This level of valuation elevated the status of the festival among international events.

An exhibition of the selected works of the “Terror Online” contest was also launched on Monday at the Art Bureau in Tehran.

According to Shojai Tabatabai, 300 works from the cartoon section and 100 works in the poster section are on display for the public for a month.

Photo: Mikail Çiftçi from Türkiye receives his award in the cartoon section at the closing ceremony of the first Terror Online Contest in Tehran on January 5, 2026.

SS/SAB