Saudi Netflix show creator convicted by anti-terror court

Saudi TV creator Abdulaziz Almuzaini, whose animated Netflix show has made waves for breaking social taboos, said he had been convicted by an anti-terrorism court, prompting condemnation from rights advocates.

The kingdom's Specialised Criminal Court, established in 2008 to try suspects accused of terrorism, "issued against me (a sentence of) 13 years, followed by a 13-year travel ban", Almuzaini said in a video posted online last week that was subsequently deleted.

In a second video posted this week, which is still available on social media platform X, Almuzaini filmed himself inside a car, saying: "I am banned from travelling" out of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP on Thursday, and there was no word of Almuzaini -- who was not available for comment -- having been incarcerated.

His satirical show "Masameer County", billed as "a humorous view on a changing Saudi", debuted in 2021.

Episodes tackled topics such as disputes among tribes and Islamic militancy, and even featured oblique references to homosexuality, a potential capital crime in Saudi Arabia.

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that court documents in the case referred to online posts by Almuzaini which "ridiculed Arab regimes... or voiced support for women's rights".

Almuzaini said in the since-deleted video that the court accused him of promoting homosexuality and militancy.

That video included a direct appeal to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who became first in line to the throne in 2017 and has overseen sweeping social and economic reforms.

"I believe that we are in a country ruled by a rational family, and if one of its citizens is subjected to injustice, I have faith that my voice reaching His Highness the crown prince will correct some of what happened to me," Almuzaini said.

Saudi Arabia has been criticised for what activists describe as a fierce crackdown on even vaguely critical online speech.

Unlike in some other high-profile cases, Almuzaini does not appear to have been jailed.

The case against him nevertheless appeared to continue a trend of shutting down free speech, said Abdullah Alaoudh, senior director for countering authoritarianism at the US-based Middle East Democracy Center.

"Saudi Arabia's creative industries will not thrive -– let alone attract investment -– until the authorities recognise and fully respect the human rights of all its citizens," Alaoudh said.