Saudi Arabian Netflix producer Abdulaziz Almuzaini has been sentenced to 13 years in prison and a 13-year travel ban by an anti-terrorism court for his animated series “Masameer County”. The court convicted Almuzaini of promoting homosexuality in his show, which tackles social taboos in Saudi Arabia through humor.
Almuzaini, who is no longer allowed to leave Saudi Arabia, shared this information in a video posted online. He stated that the kingdom’s Special Criminal Court had sentenced him to prison followed by a travel ban. Activists have criticized Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on online criticism, citing cases where individuals have been sentenced to decades in prison for their posts.
As a result of the pressure from the court, Almuzaini had to close his company, Myrkott Animation Studio, and lay off staff. He also made a direct appeal to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, expressing his hope that the Prince would intervene in his case. The Wall Street Journal reported that court documents referenced online posts by Almuzaini where he mocked the Arab regime or advocated for women’s rights.
Almuzaini’s Netflix series launched in 2021 and was praised for its humor and ability to tackle sensitive topics like homosexuality, which is considered a serious crime in the kingdom. However, it seems that this has not gone unnoticed by the authorities who have now convicted Almuzaini for promoting such content. As of now, the authorities have not responded to requests for comments, and Almuzaini himself has not been reachable.