BDVoice | Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Arabia's Comedy Festival Draws Fire Over Human Rights Cover-Up

Human Rights Watch has accused the Saudi government of using the Riyadh Comedy Festival 2025, scheduled from September 26 to October 9, as a distraction from its harsh crackdown on free speech and widespread human rights abuses. The festival coincides with the seventh anniversary of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s state-sponsored killing and comes just months after Saudi authorities executed a journalist for his peaceful expression.