Riyadh Comedy Festival Highlights Comedians’ Silence on Saudi human Rights Concerns
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Human Rights Watch is calling on performers at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, scheduled for September 26 to October 9, 2025, to use their platform to advocate for the release of unjustly detained activists in Saudi Arabia. The association reports that comedians who participated in the festival did not publicly address the country’s human rights record during their performances.
A Festival Amidst Repression
The Riyadh Comedy Festival, featuring “over 50 global stand-up legends,” has drawn scrutiny from human rights advocates who view it as a potential attempt by the Saudi government to whitewash its human rights record. Joey Shea,Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch,stated,”We asked them to express their support for free speech by urging the release of saudi activists unjustly imprisoned.” While some comedians, like Aziz Ansari and Jessica Kirson, indicated support thru charitable donations, the organization maintains that a direct call for the activists’ release would have been more impactful.
Comedian Responses and Contractual Restrictions
During an October 6 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ansari explained that “part of the fee [from the festival] should go to support causes that support free press and human rights,” and expressed solidarity with those raising concerns. Kirson announced she was donating her entire performance fee to a human rights organization. However, Human Rights Watch noted it is unable to accept such donations, but emphasized that advocating for the release of detainees remains a crucial step.
The organization’s attempts to engage with the comedians directly were unsuccessful.On September 19, human Rights Watch reached out to representatives and management of participating comedians to discuss the human rights crisis in Saudi Arabia, but received no response.
Concerns over censorship were also raised. Louis C.K. revealed he was informed of only two restrictions regarding his material: “Their religion and their government.” Atsuko Okatsuka shared screenshots of a proposed contract,dated September 27,that prohibited performers from any material that could “degrade,defame,or bring into public disrepute” the Kingdom of Saudi arabia,its royal family,or its religions. She ultimately rejected the offer.
A Complex Landscape of Entertainment and Repression
the Saudi government, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has invested heavily in the entertainment industry alongside advancements for women and youth. However, Human Rights Watch argues that these changes have coincided with a significant curtailing of civil and political rights since 2017, including waves of arbitrary arrests of dissidents, activists, intellectuals, and even members of the royal family.
The timing of the festival also drew criticism, falling near the seventh anniversary of the state-sponsored murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 2, 2018, and shortly after the execution of Saudi writer and journalist Turki al-Jasser on June 14.Details surrounding al-Jasser’s detention, trial, and execution remain scarce, raising concerns that he was targeted for his peaceful expression.
Calls for Continued Advocacy
Despite the festival’s conclusion, Human Rights Watch maintains that comedians who performed in Riyadh still have an chance to advocate for change.”the comedians who went to Riyadh can still demand that the Saudi authorities release Manahel and Waleed,” Shea said. “Public pressure from such high-profile artists and free speech advocates could help secure their release and freedom.”
Comedian Jessica Kirson later expressed regret for her participation, stating, “This decision has weighed heavily on my heart ever as. I like to express my sincere regret for having performed under a government that continues to violate fundamental human rights.” She also noted her performance marked, to her knowledge, the first time an openly gay comic had addressed LGBTQ+ issues on stage in Saudi Arabia.
The situation underscores the complex ethical considerations facing entertainers who choose to perform in countries with questionable human rights records, and the potential for their platforms to be used – or not used – to amplify the voices of those silenced.
