Saudi TV producer Abdulaziz Almuzaini, whose animated Netflix show has caused a stir for breaking social taboos, said he has been convicted by an anti-terrorism court, prompting condemnation from human rights advocates.
“The kingdom’s Special Criminal Court, which was established in 2008 to try suspects accused of terrorism, has sentenced me to 13 years in prison, followed by a travel ban for 13 years,” Almuzaini said in a video posted online last week. The video was later removed.
In a second video posted this week, which is still available on the social media platform X, Almuzaini filmed himself inside a car and said: “I have been banned from travelling outside Saudi Arabia.”
Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment on Thursday, and Almuzaini – who was unavailable for comment – was not immediately in prison.
His satirical show “Masaameer County”, billed as “a humorous take on a changing Saudi”, debuted in 2021.
These episodes discussed topics such as disputes between tribes and Islamic extremism, and even made indirect references to homosexuality, which is a death penalty in Saudi Arabia.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that court documents related to the case cited Almuzaini’s online posts that “ridiculed Arab regimes … or expressed support for women’s rights.”
Almuzaini said in a now-deleted video that the court had accused him of promoting homosexuality and extremism.
He also said that he was forced to shut down his company, Myrcott Animation Studios, due to increasing pressure from Saudi authorities.
“The services of all the employees of the Micot company were terminated a week ago,” he said.
“These are people who have families, who have been working with us since 2012. I had to stand up and apologise to all of them and tell them that Myrcot is over.”
Appeal to the prince
The video featured a direct appeal to Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who became first in line for the throne in 2017 and has overseen sweeping social and economic reforms.
Almuzaini said, “I believe that we live in a country ruled by a prudent family, and if injustice is done to any of its citizens, I believe that by making my voice reach His Highness the Crown Prince, there will be some improvement to what happened to me.”
Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its harsh crackdown on even the most critical online speech.
Human rights groups Amnesty International and ALQST said in April that over the past two years the Saudi judiciary had “convicted dozens of individuals and sentenced them to lengthy prison terms for their expressions on social media.”
Saudi authorities say the accused have committed terrorism-related crimes.
High-profile examples include two women who received decades-long sentences in 2022 for making and sharing critical online posts, as well as a retired teacher who was sentenced to death last year after denouncing alleged corruption and human rights abuses on social media.
Prince Mohammed said in an interview with Fox News in September that he disagreed with the decision and raised the possibility that retired teacher Mohammed al-Ghamdi could be spared the death penalty.
Unlike these cases, Almuzaini does not appear to have been sent to jail.
Still, the action against him appears to continue a trend of stifling free expression, said Abdullah Alaoud, senior director for counterauthoritarianism at the U.S.-based Middle East Democracy Center.
“Saudi Arabia’s creative industries will not be able to thrive – let alone attract investment – until the authorities recognise and fully respect the human rights of all its citizens,” Alaoud said.
Lina al-Hathloul, ALQST’s head of monitoring and communications, condemned the travel ban, as did her sister and prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul.
“We all want to stay in the country, but with security and without these violations and arbitrary and unfair travel restrictions, which have exhausted many people, including my family,” Lina al-Hathloul, who lives in London, said on XTV.
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