Why top comedians are being criticised for performing in Saudi Arabia

Jimmy Carr, Jack Whitehall and some of America's biggest comedians are being criticised for performing at the inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia.

The state-sponsored event, which started on 26 September and runs until Thursday 9 October, features more than 50 comedians, including A-listers Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Jessica Kirson, Aziz Ansari and Pete Davidson. But why have fans and fellow comedians been so critical of their decision to participate? Why is the festival controversial? The Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims the Saudi government is using the festival to "deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations".

Critics have called the festival "comedy washing" - a similar term to sports washing, where governments are accused of using entertainment to divert attention from human rights abuses. The human rights records of Saudi Arabia have come under heavy scrutiny, particularly when it comes to prosecutions for freedom of speech, use of the death penalty and the rights of women and girls.

When criticised by the UN Human Rights Council last year, the kingdom said it had passed dozens of reforms to give its citizens more rights, in line with its "Vision 2030" plan to modernise its society under Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia was for years among the most socially conservative nations, with a morality police enforcing a strict interpretation of Shariah, Islam's strict legal system derived from the Quran.

But the country, which is set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, has used its wealth to invest heavily in sports, entertainment and tourism in recent years. The Saudi regime insists its investment is aimed at transforming its social and economic landscape, rather than distracting from its human rights policies.

What have critics of the comedians said? Some fans and fellow comedians have accused those participating - many of whom have previously advocated for free speech - of "selling out". Comedian and actor David Cross took to Instagram to say he was "disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing.