At Saudi Comedy Festival, American Free Speech Becomes the Punchline

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American comics used Saudi Arabia’s first global comedy festival to skewer a debate raging at home. Critics said the event was part of Saudi efforts to draw attention away from a political crackdown.

By Ismaeel Naar and Erika Solomon

Ismaeel Naar attended the Riyadh Comedy Festival in the Saudi capital over the weekend. Erika Solomon reported from Cairo.

For weeks, ridicule poured in against the American comedians set to perform this week in Saudi Arabia — a country not known for its civil liberties.