Malaysian cartoonist charged with record 9 counts of sedition for mocking judiciary

Malaysian cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Alhaque, better known as Zunar leaves the courthouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Friday, April 3, 2015. The Malaysian cartoonist known for lampooning the ruling coalition was charged Friday with nine counts of sedition over a series of tweets criticizing the country's judiciary. (AP Photo) (The Associated Press)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A Malaysian cartoonist known for lampooning the ruling coalition has been charged with a record nine counts of sedition over a series of tweets criticizing the country's judiciary.

Lawyer Latheefa Koya said the charges Friday against Zulkiflee Anwar Alhaque, better known as Zunar, are excessive and are aimed at silencing government critics. She says Zunar faces up to 43 years in jail if found guilty on all nine charges.

The nine tweets criticizing the judiciary were posted Feb. 10 when opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim began serving a five-year prison sentence after losing his final appeal on a sodomy charge.

A defiant Zunar posted a new cartoon on Twitter after his release on bail, vowing to "draw until the last drop of ink."