Aziz Ansari has defended his decision to perform at Saudi Arabia’s controversial state-run Riyadh Comedy Festival, saying he plans to donate “a portion of the fee” to “activities that support press freedom and human rights,” naming Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch, which have long been critical of the festival and the Saudi regime.
However, a Human Rights Watch spokesperson said in a statement to Variety that the organization “cannot accept” donations from Ansari and other comedians who “have generously offered to donate a portion of their performance fees.” (Jessica Carson said she “deeply regrets” performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival and pledged to donate all her performance fees to an undisclosed human rights organization.)
“We find this unacceptable, but it is not too late to call for the release of detained Saudi activists,” said Joey Xia, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch. She added: “Human Rights Watch is not calling on comedians to boycott the Riyadh Comedy Festival, only to express support for free speech by calling for the release of unjustly imprisoned Saudi activists.”
Shea issued a similar statement in September, calling attention to the Saudi government’s murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. “Comedians who receive large sums of money from Saudi authorities should not remain silent on topics that are prohibited in the Kingdom, such as human rights and freedom of speech.” “All those active in Riyadh should use this high-profile opportunity to call for the release of detained Saudi activists.”
Arvind Ganesan, director of economic justice and rights at Human Rights Watch, who also oversees the organization’s funding policy, told Variety that HRW is “very committed to independence and objectivity” and cannot accept government funding directly or indirectly. The group is also “very cautious” about private funding.
“We have criticized comedians, including Mr. Ansari, who perform in Saudi Arabia because of the government’s human rights record,” Ganesan said. If HRW were to accept money from these comedians, “there could be a perception that our independence was somehow compromised after the fact.” He added that, to his knowledge, HRW has not been contacted or received any money from any of the performers in Riyadh.
On Tuesday’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel slammed Ansari’s decision to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. “It’s a pretty brutal regime,” Kimmel said of the Islamic kingdom led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “They’ve done a lot of really horrible things.”
Ansari said he “thought a lot” about the decision, saying, “The comedy festival felt like something that would open things up more and encourage dialogue. It’s like you have to choose between being isolated or being involved. For me, especially being me and seeing myself the way I am and coming from a Muslim background, it felt like something I should be a part of.”
The Riyadh Comedy Festival, which ran from September 26 to October 9, was sharply divided between A-list comedians such as Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Louis CK and Pete Davidson, who accepted large sums of money for appearances, and comedians such as Shane Gillis and Atsuko Okatsuka, who said they had turned down offers. (A source told Variety that comedians’ salaries ranged from mid-six figures to up to $1.6 million per show.)
Okatsuka revealed to X why he declined to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. “The funding comes directly from the crown prince, who actively executes journalists, (non-lethal) drug offenders, bloggers, etc. without due process.” She attached a screenshot of the offer letter, which includes a “content restrictions” section aimed at prohibiting comedians from making jokes about the Saudi government, legal system, or religious customs.
David Cross issued a statement condemning fellow comedians who attended the festival, writing, “How can any of us ever take you seriously again? All your whining about ‘cancel culture’ and ‘free speech’ and all that? It’s over. You guys can never talk about it again. Now we’ve all seen the contract you all had to sign.”
Meanwhile, many prominent comedians have defended their decision to perform at the festival. Barr called it “one of the top three experiences I’ve had” and said, “The royal family loved this show.” CK said it was a “good opportunity” and that “comedy is a great way to get involved and start talking.” “It’s easier to talk here than in America,” Chappelle quipped on stage in Saudi Arabia.
As Human Rights Watch noted in a press release on Wednesday, “Mr. Chappelle has not publicly commented on Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses.”
