Saudi Arabia Sentences Producer to 13 Years in Prison Over Netflix Show

Middle East|Netflix Show Earns Its Saudi Creator Plaudits, and a Prison Sentence

From the outside, the past fewer years looked similar the highest of Abdulaziz Almuzaini’s career.

As the caput of an animation workplace successful Saudi Arabia, helium signed a five-year woody with Netflix successful 2020. A sardonic cartoon franchise that helium helped create, “Masameer,” likened to a Saudi mentation of “South Park,” was soon streaming to audiences astir the world. And arsenic the blimpish Islamic kingdom loosened up, Mr. Almuzaini was being publically celebrated — arsenic precocious arsenic a fewer months agone — arsenic 1 of the homegrown talents shaping its nascent amusement industry.

Behind the scenes, though, helium was connected proceedings successful an opaque nationalist information court, arsenic Saudi prosecutors — who accused him of promoting extremism done the cartoon bid and societal media posts — sought to guarantee that helium would walk the remainder of his beingness successful situation oregon nether a question ban.

Mr. Almuzaini, a dual U.S.-Saudi national and begetter of three, precocious described his plight successful a video pleading for the Saudi enactment to intervene, saying that helium was awaiting a last ruling from the kingdom’s Supreme Court.

“I mightiness carnivore the consequences of what happens aft this, and I’m ready,” helium said successful the 18-minute video, which helium said helium was filming astatine his location successful the Saudi capital.

The video was published connected his societal media accounts precocious past period and deleted the aforesaid day. In it, Mr. Almuzaini, sporting a achromatic beard graying astir the edges, spoke successful beforehand of a partition covered with colorful sticky notes.

“I haven’t committed a azygous transgression successful the kingdom” helium said. “I haven’t adjacent tally a reddish light.”

The Saudi authorities person imprisoned hundreds of citizens during a crackdown connected dissent that began successful 2017. Still, Mr. Almuzaini’s video was shocking due to the fact that helium had appeared to beryllium squarely successful the bully graces of Saudi enactment — attending government-hosted events and receiving glowing write-ups successful state-backed media outlets. Despite facing sedate charges, helium was not jailed, though helium was barred from leaving the country.