"Forty Dead, Yet Depicted Skiing with Burns": French Weekly Faces Backlash over Cartoon

Charlie Hebdo Cartoon on Swiss Fire Sparks Outrage
Depicts Burn Victims Skiing Down Snowy Mountains
"Violation of Victims' Dignity" Leads to Legal Complaint in Switzerland

The renowned French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo is facing controversy after satirizing the victims of a fire disaster that occurred in Switzerland on New Year's Day. According to Yonhap News on January 12 (local time), citing the French daily Le Parisien, "Charlie Hebdo published a controversial cartoon on January 9, the day the Swiss federal government held a memorial service for the fire victims."

The famous French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo satirized the victims of the fire disaster that occurred on New Year's Day at a Swiss ski resort. Charlie Hebdo Instagram

In the cartoon, the artist depicted two people with bandages from burns skiing down the snowy mountains of Crans-Montana in the canton of Valais, where the fire occurred. The title read, "Those Who Got Burned, Skiing," and in the lower right corner of the cartoon, it was labeled "Comedy of the Year."

A Swiss lawyer filed a complaint against the publication with the Valais public prosecutor's office after seeing the cartoon. According to Yonhap News, the lawyer told Swiss media, "I am a strong advocate of freedom of expression and have been a supporter of Charlie Hebdo," but also criticized, "However, this case is absolutely unacceptable. This cartoon violates the dignity of the victims." A netizen who identified herself as the mother of a fire victim wrote on her X (formerly Twitter) account regarding the cartoon, "Did you ever think of the victims and their families? You should be ashamed. It is disgusting."

On the 4th (local time), people mourned at a memorial procession for fire victims held in Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps. Photo by AP Yonhap News

At around 1:30 a.m. on January 1, a fire broke out at "Le Constellation," a bar in Crans-Montana, Valais, a world-renowned ski resort, as crowds gathered to celebrate the New Year. The fire spread rapidly, and it was reported that evacuation was difficult because the basement emergency exit was locked. According to Swiss authorities, the disaster resulted in 40 deaths and 116 injuries, with nine of the deceased identified as French nationals.

Previously, on January 6, the Swiss Press Council emphasized, "The code of journalistic ethics prohibits all sensational expressions that reduce people to objects. Respect the suffering of those involved and the feelings of the bereaved families." Article 135 of the Swiss Criminal Code stipulates that depictions that seriously violate human dignity without any cultural or scientific value subject to protection can be punished by up to three years in prison or a fine.

In contrast, Malika Bret, former executive of Charlie Hebdo, defended the magazine on X, saying, "The claim that satirical cartoons must always be laugh-out-loud funny is an illusory perspective," and added, "As some critics of Charlie always do, taking things literally is a convenient attitude."

Founded in 1970, Charlie Hebdo is known for its satire that spares no field, including politics, religion, and various social and cultural issues. The magazine was also the target of a terrorist attack by Islamic extremists in 2015 after using the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a subject for its cartoons.