Saudi Arabia

Netflix producer sentenced to 13 years in prison

Scene from Almuzaini's animated film "Masameer: The Movie"

(Bild: Netflix)

Saudi Arabian television producer Abdulaziz Almuzaini has been sentenced to prison and a travel ban by an anti-terrorism court for his Netflix animation series. 

He is no longer allowed to leave Saudi Arabia, Almuzaini explained in a video published on X. In a previously published video, which has since been deleted, the producer of the series "Masameer County" stated that the kingdom's special criminal court, which was set up in 2008 to combat terrorism, had imposed "a 13-year sentence on him, followed by a 13-year travel ban". According to Almuzaini, the court accused him of promoting homosexuality. As a result of the pressure, he has already had to close his company Myrkott Animation Studio and dismiss the staff.

Appeal to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Almuzaini also made a direct appeal to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in which he expressed confidence that he would "correct some of the things that have happened to me". The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the court documents refer to online posts by Almuzaini in which he "mocks the Arab regime" or speaks out in favor of women's rights. The authorities did not respond to an inquiry from the AFP news agency on Thursday and Almuzaini himself was also unavailable for comment.

His Netflix series "Masameer County", which was launched in 2021, takes a humorous look at a Saudi Arabia in transition and breaks social taboos in the process. Topics such as homosexuality, which is considered a serious crime in Saudi Arabia, are not left out.

Activists criticize Saudi Arabia for its crackdown on sometimes very vague critical statements on the internet. In 2022, two women were sentenced to decades in prison for critical online posts.