On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged comedians who performed at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival to address the nation’s concerning human rights record and raise awareness of unjustly detained Saudi dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists.

HRW pressed comedians to “express their support for free speech by urging the release of Saudi activists unjustly imprisoned,” among whom include Waleed Abu al-Khair, a human rights defender, and Manahel al-Otaibi, a fitness instructor and woman’s rights activist. The rights group also asked participants to refuse contractual terms that restrict their ability to publicly speak about human rights abuses and asked to meet with representatives of a group of comedians participating in the festival on September 19.

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