Abdulrahman Asad Thaher, (, romanized: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ẓāhir; born 31 December 1982) is a Palestinian-Jordanian actor, director, satirical screenwriter, journalist and human rights defender.
Life and career Abdulrahman Thaher was born in 1982 in the United Arab Emirates to a Palestinian family originally from Nablus, located in the northern West Bank of Palestine.
He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in 2007 at An-Najah National University and completed his studies in directing and acting. He has also written, directed, and performed in Fenjan Albalad, Sukaj, and In the Presence of Justice, which are known for their black comedy style.
Thaher has been the Production Department Manager at Wattan TV, Director of International Production at the Media Center of An-Najah National University, and Senior Producer at Smalink Media Production Company in Beirut. Thaher has produced television programs for Jordan's Roya TV and Al Araby Television Network in London.
He has faced prosecution and arrests.
Arrests and trials
Arrests by the Palestinian Authority Numerous Palestinian activists, human rights defenders, and journalists held protests against the Palestinian Authority's arrest of Thaher in August and September 2020. They demonstrated against the poor conditions of his detention and his declining health, gathering outside the court in Nablus and the Palestinian Prime Minister's office in Ramallah. Thaher's arrest sparked widespread discussion on social media and in Palestinian, Arab, and international media. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and various international human rights groups monitored the situation. At that time, the Palestinian Authority faced accusations of infringing on freedom of expression and fabricating charges against political activists and journalists. This pressure led to Thaher's conditional release in September 2020, but his trial continued under the Cybercrime Law.
In January 2022, a Nablus court sentenced Thaher to three months in prison for defaming the Palestinian Authority. The ruling sparked strong reactions from journalists and activists, leading to the intervention of international human rights organizations. They urged the Palestinian Authority to protect Thaher and other journalists, and called for an end to violations against the political opposition. As a result, the sentence was suspended while Thaher's legal team appealed the decision. Ultimately, the Court of Appeal ruled in Thaher's favor, acquitting him of all charges after two years of trials.
Arrest in Israel In October 2020, just a few weeks after Thaher was released from Palestinian Authority prisons, the IDF arrested him at his home in Nablus. They questioned him about his television work outside of Palestine. A month later, an Israeli court ruled to release him.
Filmography
Thaher has produced and directed TV series and programs characterized by black comedy. Below is a list of Abdulrahman Thaher's most known works:
Television
Series
YearTitleGenreCountry of productionRoleChannel2013Fenjan Albalad (S1)drama, black comedy, and satireDirector, screenwriter and actorRoya TV channel2013In the Presence of Justicedrama, crime, and vaguenessDirector and writerWattan TV2014Fenjan Albalad (S2)drama, black comedy, and satireJordanDirector, writer and Leading actorRoya TV channel2015Fenjan Albalad (S3)drama, black comedy, and satireJordanDirector, writer and Leading actorAl Araby TV channel2015Sukaj (S1)black comedyJordanDirector, writer and main actorAl Araby TV channel2016Sukaj (S2)black comedyJordanDirector, writer and Leading actorAl Araby TV channel2020What's upcomedyWriter and Leading actorNBC TV
Animated series YearTitleGenreCountryRole2017Abu Saleh (S1)farce drama and black comedyJordanWriter, director and Leading actor2019Abu Saleh (S2)farce drama and black comedyLebanonWriter, director and Leading actor
Programs YearTitleGenreCountry of productionRoleChannel2012The other opiniontalk show and politicsProducer and directorWattan TV2013Upside downentertainment and vox popDirectorRoya TV2014Zinkotalk show, politics, and news satireJordanProducer, director and presenterRoya TV 2015Ghabash (S1)entertainment, vox pop, and challengesJordanProducer, director and presenterAl Araby2015Archivecurriculum vitaeJordanProducer, director and presenterAl Araby2016Ghabash (S2)entertainment, vox pop, and challengesJordanProducer, director and presenterRoya TV 2016Mutesocial and political commentaryExecutive ProducerRoya TV2017Hilal Mawwalentertainment and talk showLebanonSenior producerAl Quds 2018Yours or the wolf's?reality show and riddlesLebanonProducer, director and presenterAl Quds2019Ghabash (S3)entertainment, vox pop, and challengesProducer, director and presenterRoya TV 2020Accordinglyrecursive self-improvementWriter and presenterNBC TV2020Trick (S1)reality show, riddles, and prizesProducer, director and presenterRoya TV2021Trick (S2)reality show, riddles, and prizesProducer, director and presenterRoya TV
Film YearTitleGenreRole2005Paradise Nowpsychological dramaActor2016Mutefarce dramaProducer
Plays YearTitleGenreCountries of showsRoleDirector2005Memory PagerealismًPlaywright and leading actorGufran Odah2007Flash Backblack comedyJordanًPlaywright and leading actorSaid Sada2008There on the Other Shorepsychological dramaEgyptLeading actorFathi Abdul Rahman
Radio YearTitleGenreCountryRole2013In courtdrama, crime, and vaguenessWriter, director, and leading actor
Awards 11th Alexandria Festival for Arab Youth Award in 2008, "There on the Other Shore". 19th Arab Radio and Television Festival Award in Tunisia in 2018, "Mosh Banamaj".
References
External links
Abdulrahman Thaher on TVDB Abdulrahman Thaher on MUBI