Netflix pulls ‘Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj’ episode in Saudi Arabia

Dimitrios Kambouris | Getty Images for Netflix

Comedian Hasan Minhaj attends “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” event at Classic Car Club Manhattan on June 25, 2018 in New York City.

Netflix has pulled an episode of “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” in Saudi Arabia after receiving a complaint from the country’s government, according to the Financial Times newspaper.

The U.S. streaming service took down the episode, entitled “Saudi Arabia,” following a request from the country’s Communications and Information Technology Commission as it allegedly violated anti-cybercrime law, the FT reported Sunday.

Netflix and the Saudi IT regulator were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. However, Netflix told the FT: “We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and only removed this episode in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal request — and to comply with local law.”

The episode in question takes aim at the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi regime, as well as Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Minhaj, the titular U.S. comedian who hosts the series, says in the episode that “now would be a good time to reassess our relationship with Saudi Arabia.”

Minhaj, known for his work on “The Daily Show,” was not immediately available for comment on the episode’s removal.