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Comedian<\/a> Atsuko Okatsuka has revealed why she turned down a gig at Saudi Arabia<\/a>\u2019s Riyadh Comedy Festival after several stars agreed to perform despite backlash due to the country\u2019s controversial human rights record<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Okatsuka took to social media<\/a> on Friday to share screenshots of an offer she received in July that outlined \u201ccontent restrictions\u201d for the festival.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The alleged stipulation involved not performing material \u201cthat may be considered to degrade, defame, or bring into public disrepute, contempt, scandal, embarrassment, or ridicule\u201d Saudi Arabia, the Saudi royal family and any \u201creligion, religious tradition, religious figure, or religious practice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe money is coming straight from the Crown Prince, who actively executes journalists<\/a>, ppl with nonlethal drug offenses<\/a>, bloggers, etc without due process,\u201d wrote Okatsuka of the festival that Human Rights Watch warned<\/a> was an attempt to whitewash the Saudi government\u2019s \u201cserious rights abuses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Okatsuka continued, \u201cA lot of the \u2018you can\u2019t say anything anymore!\u2019 Comedians are doing the festival \ud83d\ude02 they had to adhere to censorship rules about the types of jokes they can make.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Riyadh Comedy Festival, which began on Friday and is scheduled to continue through Oct. 9, is set to include appearances by Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Aziz Ansari, Louis C.K., Wayne Brady, Jo Koy and Gabriel Iglesias.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Okatsuka is among several comedians who have turned down invitations, including Mike Birbiglia, Leslie Liao and Stavros Halkias.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Others, like David Cross, Shane Gillis and Marc Maron, have slammed their peers for participating in the festival. Maron, the host of the \u201cWTF\u201d podcast, called out the event during a recent stand-up set.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI mean, how do you even promote that? You know, like \u2019From the folks that brought you 9\/11. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don\u2019t miss it!\u201d quipped the \u201cWTF\u201d podcast host in an Instagram clip<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gillis revealed on his podcast<\/a> that the festival\u2019s organizers \u201cdoubled the bag\u201d for him to perform after he initially turned it down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIt was a significant bag, but I\u2019d already said no,\u201d he said. \u201cI took a principled stand.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Cross wrote that he was \u201cdisgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing,\u201d in a post to social media<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThat people I admire, with unarguable talent, would condone this totalitarian fiefdom for\u2026what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 20 Years Of<\/span>Free<\/span>Journalism<\/span><\/p>\n Your Support<\/span>Fuels<\/span>Our Mission<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Your Support<\/span>Fuels<\/span>Our Mission<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n