Omar Abdulaziz Al-Zahrani (Arabic: عمر بن عبد العزيز الزهراني) is a Saudi Arabian dissident video blogger and activist living in exile in Montreal, Canada.[1] As recounted in the film The Dissident (2020), he was close friends and worked with Jamal Khashoggi, dissident Saudi journalist assassinated by Saudi government agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Al-Zahrani is a member of the National Assembly Party.[2]
Biography
editHe hosts a YouTube satire program known for its criticism of the kingdom and its leadership.[3] Consulting firm McKinsey & Company named Abdulaziz in an internal report as one of the top Saudi influencers on Twitter.[3]
He applied for asylum in Canada in 2014, when his student scholarship was cancelled after he criticised the Saudi government.[1] He became a Canadian permanent resident in 2017.[4]
Abdulaziz was close friends[3] and worked with Jamal Khashoggi—the Saudi dissident and journalist for The Washington Post—on various initiatives after Khashoggi left the kingdom to live in exile in 2017.[1] In 2018 Abdulaziz's phone was hacked and his conversations with Khashoggi were intercepted.[1][5] Khashoggi was later assassinated by Saudi Arabia. Abdulaziz's two brothers and several friends are imprisoned in their homes in Saudi Arabia because of their links to him.[1][4]
His story features prominently in the film The Dissident (2020), directed by Bryan Fogel.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Shaheen, Kareem (24 November 2018). "'They silenced Khashoggi but gave thousands a voice'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2020-02-22 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Exiled Saudi dissidents launch opposition party", Al Jazeera, 23 September 2020
- ^ a b c Perper, Rosie. "A Canadian political refugee made videos criticizing Saudi Arabia — now Saudi authorities have arrested his friends and family". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ a b Perper, Rosie. "One of Jamal Khashoggi's close friends said Twitter is the 'only free platform' for many Saudis, but it also may have led to Khashoggi's brutal murder". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ "Quebec resident sues Israeli surveillance company over Jamal Khashoggi's killing | CBC News".
- ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (22 February 2020). "Powerful new Khashoggi film hits its mark … but will audiences get to see it?". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2020-02-22 – via www.theguardian.com.
External links
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