Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson and Dave Chappelle are among those receiving backlash for participating in the Riyadh Comedy Festival.

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.

The comedian revealed on Threads that she turned down an offer to appear at the festival where Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr and Pete Davidson are set to perform.

Several comedians are facing criticism for headlining the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. NBC News’ Gadi Schwartz reports on the controversy as performers such as Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, and Pete Davidson are set to appear despite concerns about the kingdom's human rights record.

Comedians are being criticized by their peers for participating in a Saudi comedy festival while speech is repressed.

“Repression of free speech is no laughing matter,” the nonprofit Human Rights Watch said on Instagram. “Comedians performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, which falls during the seventh anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder, should use their platform to defend free speech in Saudi Arabia.”

The Riyadh Comedy Festival features a variety of big names such as Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Pete Davidson, Andrew Schulz and Bill Burr.

Some of the biggest comedians in the world are descending upon Saudi Arabia for what's being billed as the "world's largest comedy festival," and their fans and peers alike are slamming them for their participation. An up-and-coming Houston comic is no exception.

The Riyadh Comedy Festival will feature performances from dozens of American comedians, but human rights groups and fellow comedians have slammed participants for ignoring human rights abuses.