BEIRUT: The Lebanese Writers’ Union and SKeyes, the Beirut-based media watchdog, condemned Friday the attack on Syrian political cartoonist Ali Ferzat, which the union decried as an attempt to prevent freedom of expression.

“The violent attack on Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat is part of a series of attempts to crush freedom of expression and free conscience,” said a statement released by the union.

The statement also said that such attacks, against intellectuals, writers and artists, are unjustifiable. “People within this class [writers] express their opinions in a civilized manner … it is not possible to justify any violent attack whether it’s formal or informal against them,” the statement added.

For its part, SKeyes demanded an immediate investigation to uncover the perpetrators and punish them. “SKeyes considers the attack against Ferzat a flagrant aggression against freedom of expression that constitutions worldwide guarantee,” said the media watchdog.

Ferzat was attacked after he left his studio Thursday by masked gunmen, who warned him to stop satirizing Syrian leaders and beat the artists, breaking one of his hands and his fingers.