New Delhi, Oct. 2 -- The Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia has turned controversial. The debut festival, which runs from September 26 to October 9, is being promoted as the "world's biggest comedy event".

Big names like Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Pete Davidson, Louis C.K. and Tom Segura are part of the lineup. However, many have condemned the festival, with Human Rights Watch accusing Saudi Arabia of using it to distract from its harsh crackdown on free speech.

The Riyadh Comedy Festival has drawn more controversy as it coincides with the seventh anniversary of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder on October 2, 2018.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. A U.S. intell...