GVF — An Iranian cartoonist has been sentenced to flogging after depicting a member of parliament in a local publication.

According to the country’s official news agency Irna, cartoonist Mahmoud Shokraiyeh has been sentenced to 25 lashes after drawing a cartoon that showed Arak MP Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani wearing a football jersey.

The Press Court of the Province, presided over by Judge Edalatkhah, issued the sentence.

The cartoon appeared in Nameye Amir, the Central Province’s best-selling publication. The magazine is currently in its tenth year of publication.

The harsh ruling handed down to Shokraiyeh is not an isolated case in Iran. In the past, other cartoonists such as Mana Neyestani have also been imprisoned for their work.