Saudi Arabian television producer Abdulaziz Almuzaini has been sentenced to 13 years in prison followed by a 13-year travel ban by an anti-terrorism court for promoting homosexuality in his Netflix animated series, “Masameer County.” The kingdom’s Special Criminal Court convicted Almuzaini of spreading immoral content and advocating for women’s rights.
Almuzaini, who is no longer allowed to leave Saudi Arabia, shared this information in a video posted online. He stated that the court had also closed his company, Myrkott Animation Studio, and laid off staff as a result of the pressure from the court. He 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. 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 of now, the authorities have not responded to requests for comments, and Almuzaini himself has not been reachable.
