Syria: masked gunmen beat, break hands of cartoonist critical of Assad regime

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports: "Ali Ferzat, a famous Syrian cartoonist critical of the government, was abducted and severely beaten by masked gunmen as he left his office early on Thursday in Damascus." They broke his hands, said the attack was a "warning," then dumped him, bleeding, on a roadside.

More at BBC News, AP.

The AP item, tragically, runs with a photo of a smiling Mr. Ferzat taken just two weeks ago. He is holding the pen he uses to draw his cartoons.