Iran says Saudi Arabia to pay 'high price' for executing cleric

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(Earth is rising over the Moon's Surface), Source: https://www.facebook.com/RealEstateSA5000/photos/a.899877783394135.1073741829.899009183480995/920077631374150/?l=734b9eef72 الشيخ الاراكي: جريمة إعدام الشيخ النمر بداية نهاية السعودية alalam.ir/news/1775095 #جريمة_اعدام_الشيخ_النمر pic.twitter.com/i90znZwACs Consequences of the martyrdom of #SheikhNimr won't be seen just in #Saudi's east but also #Iraq, #Bahrain & #Yemen.. https://t.co/NViKMc6Sha © AFP/File | Saudi Shiites protest in Awamiyah in eastern Saudi Arabia on October 24, 2014 against the death sentence on Nimr al-Nimr TEHRAN (AFP) - Saudi Arabia will pay "a high price" for executing prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr on Saturday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said. "The Saudi government supports terrorist movements and extremists, but confronts domestic critics with oppression and execution... the Saudi government will pay a high price for following these policies," Ansari said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency. © 2016 AFP ======================================================= Nimr al-Nimr From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Ambox current red.svg This article is about a person who has recently died. Some information, such as the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change as more facts become known. Initial news reports may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. Nimr Baqr al-Nimr نمر باقر النمر or نمر باقر آل نمر Sheikh Nemer Baqir Al-Nemer by Talkhandak.jpg Portrait of Sheikh Nimr Religion Islam[1] Denomination Twelver Shia School Mohammad Hussaini Shirazi, Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi[1] Personal Nationality Saudi Born 1959 Al-Awamiyah, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia Died 2 January 2016 (aged 56 or 57) Saudi Arabia Children Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr (nephew) Senior posting Title Sheikh Religious career Website www.sknemer.com Nimr Baqr al-Nimr (Arabic: نمر باقر النمر‎)[1] (1959 – 2 January 2016) also spelled as Bakir al-Nimr,[2] al-Nemr,[3] al-Namr,[4] al-Nimer, al-Nemer, al-Namer, commonly referred to as Sheikh Nimr, was an educated clergy man in Qom Seminary Schools in IRAN and Shia a Sheikh in al-Awamiyah, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.[5] He was popular among youth[1][6] and critical of the Saudi Arabian government.[1] He called for elections in Saudi Arabia.[7] He claimed that he was beaten by Mabahith when arrested in 2006.[1] In 2009, he criticised Saudi authorities and suggested secession of the Eastern Province[8] if Saudi Shias' rights were not better respected.[9][5] A warrant for his arrest was issued and 35 people were arrested.[9][4] During the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests, al-Nimr called for protestors to resist police bullets using "the roar of the word" rather than violence,[3][10] predicted the overthrow of the government if repression continued,[11] and was seen by The Guardian as having "taken the lead in [the] uprising".[6] On 8 July 2012 al-Nimr was shot by police in the leg and arrested, in what police described as an "exchange of gunfire".[12][13] Thousands of people protested in response in several protests[13][14] in which two men, Akbar al-Shakhouri and Mohamed al-Felfel, were killed by police bullets.[15] Al-Nimr started a hunger strike and appeared to have been tortured.[15][16][17] The Asharq Center for Human Rights expressed concern for al-Nimr's health during his hunger strike on 21 August, calling for international support to allow access by family, lawyer and human rights activists.[18] On 15 October 2014, al-Nimr was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court for "seeking 'foreign meddling' in Saudi Arabia, 'disobeying' its rulers and taking up arms against the security forces"[19] and his brother, Mohammad al-Nimr, was arrested on the same day for tweeting information about the death sentence.[19][20] Nimr Baqr al-Nimr was executed on or shortly before 2 January 2016 among 47 people executed.[21] His execution was condemned by Iran and Shiites throughout the Middle East, as well as by Western figures and Sunnis opposed to sectarianism. Contents [hide] 1 Religious career 2 Points of view 3 Popularity 4 2004 and 2006 arrests 5 2009 sermon and arrest order 6 Protests, arrest and death sentence 6.1 2011–2014 Saudi Arabian protests 6.2 July 2012 arrest and hunger strike 6.3 Trial 6.4 October 2014 death sentence 6.5 2015 appeal and imminent execution 6.6 Execution 7 Reactions against the death sentence to Sheikh Nimr 7.1 Petitions from NGOs 8 Reactions to execution 8.1 Reactions by organizations 9 Personal life 10 See also 11 References 12 External links Religious career[edit] Al-Nimr has been a Shia Sheikh in al-Awamiyah since 2008 or earlier.[1] He studied for about ten years in Tehran and also studied in Syria. He initially followed Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussaini Shirazi and as of 2008, followed Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi.[1] As of 2008, he was independent of the two main political groups in the Eastern Province Shia community, Islahiyyah (the Shirazis) and Hezbollah Al-Hejaz (Saudi Hezbollah).[1] Al-Nimr has been the Friday prayers leader in al-Awamiyah since 2009 or earlier.[9] Points of view[edit] Al-Nimr supported "something between" individual and council forms of guardianship of the Islamic Jurists as a form of government.[1] He supported Kurdish majority control of Iraqi Kurdistan.[1] Al-Nimr believed that Shia ayatollahs would not promote violence and "murder in the name of God". He supported "the idea of elections".[1] Al-Nimr criticized Bahrain's Sunni-led monarchy, which brutally suppressed massive pro-democracy Shia-led demonstrations in Bahrain in 2011.[22] Al-Nimr stated that the United States (US) "wants to humiliate the world."[1] In August 2008, he said that he saw US citizens as a natural ally of Shia as the thinking of both US citizens and Shia is "based on justice and liberty".[1] He believed that the Saudi state is "particularly reactionary" and that "agitation" is needed to influence the state in general and the Saudi state in particular.[1] According to John Kincannon, Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, Al-Nimr made statements "perceived as supporting Iran".[1] In August 2008, he stated that he believed that Iran and other states outside of Saudi Arabia act mainly out of self-interest, not out of religious solidarity.[1] Al-Nimr stated that in the case of internal conflict in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Shia would have the right to ask for international intervention in analogy to requests for foreign military intervention by Kuwaitis and Saudis to the US in the 1990–91 Gulf War and people from Darfur during the War in Darfur.[1] Al-Nimr criticised Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who was crown prince of Saudi Arabia, following Nayef's death in June 2012. He stated that "people must rejoice at [Nayef's] death" and that "he will be eaten by worms and will suffer the torments of Hell in his grave".[23][24][25] Popularity[edit] Al-Nimr was described by US diplomat Gfoeller as "gaining popularity locally" in 2008.[1] The Guardian described him as "[seeming] to have become the most popular Saudi Shia cleric among local youth" in October 2011.[6] He retained his popularity in 2012, with thousands of people participated in Qatif street demonstrations in his support following his July 2012 arrest.[13] 2004 and 2006 arrests[edit] Al-Nimr was detained for several days in 2004.[15] He was arrested by Mabahith in 2006 and beaten during his detention. Residents of al-Awamiyah campaigned to support him and he was released[1] after several days.[15] 2009 sermon and arrest order[edit] In February 2009, an incident occurred in Medina involving differences in Shia and Sunni customs at the tomb of Muhammad, filming of Shia women by the religious police, protests by Shia in Medina and arrests. Six children were arrested during 4–8 March for taking part in a 27 February protest in Safwa.[4] Al-Nimr criticised the authorities' February actions in Medina and the Minister of Interior in particular for discrimination against Saudi Arabian Shia.[4][2] In a sermon, he threatened secession,[5][8] stating "Our dignity has been pawned away, and if it is not ... restored, we will call for secession. Our dignity is more precious than the unity of this land."[9] A warrant for his arrest was issued in response. Protests took place in al-Awamiyah starting 19 March. Four people were arrested, including al-Nimr's nephew, 'Ali Ahmad al-Faraj, aged 16, who was arrested on 22 March.[4] The police started tracking al-Nimr in order to arrest him and tried to take his children hostage.[2] By 1 April, a total of 35 people had been arrested and security forces installed checkpoints on roads to al-Awamiyah. As of 1 April 2009, al-Nimr had not been arrested.[9] The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said that the authorities were "persecuting Shia reformist Nimr Bakir al-Nimr for his criticism of policies of sectarian discrimination against the Shia in Saudi Arabia and for his call for reform and equality."[2] Protests, arrest and death sentence[edit] 2011–2014 Saudi Arabian protests[edit] See also: 2011–14 Saudi Arabian protests In October 2011, during the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests, al-Nimr said that young people protesting in response to the arrests of two al-Awamiyah septuagenarians were provoked by police firing at them with live ammunition. On 4 October,[3] he called for calm, stating, "The [Saudi] authorities depend on bullets ... and killing and imprisonment. We must depend on the roar of the word, on the words of justice".[10] He explained further, "We do not accept [the use of firearms]. This is not our practice. We will lose it. It is not in our favour. This is our approach [use of words]. We welcome those who follow such [an] attitude. Nonetheless, we cannot enforce our methodology on those who want to pursue different approaches [and] do not commit to ours. The weapon of the word is stronger than the power of bullets."[3] In January 2012, he called on authorities to "stop bloodshed", predicting that the government would be overthrown if it continued its "month-long crackdown" against protestors.[11] He criticised a list of 23 alleged protestors published by the Ministry of Interior. The Guardian described him as having "taken the lead in [the] uprising".[6] July 2012 arrest and hunger strike[edit] On 8 July 2012 al-Nimr was shot by police in the leg and arrested. According to Ministry of Interior spokesperson Mansour al-Turki, policemen tried to arrest al-Nimr and colleagues who were in a car. Al-Nimr and his colleagues fired live bullets at the policemen, police shot their guns in response, al-Nimr and his colleagues attempted to escape and crashed into a police car.[12] According to al-Nimr's brother Mohammed al-Nimr, Nimr al-Nimr was arrested "while driving from a farm to his house in al-Qatif".[13] The Saudi Press Agency stated that al-Nimr was charged with "instigating unrest".[15] Mohammed al-Nimr said that his brother "had been wanted by the Interior Ministry for a couple of months because of his political views".[13] Thousands of people protested in response.[13] Two men, Akbar al-Shakhouri and Mohamed al-Felfel, were killed in the protest.[15] Pictures of al-Nimr "covered with what appeared to be a blood-stained white blanket" were published online by Eastern Province activists.[15] On 16 July, activist Hamza al-Hassan stated that al-Nimr had received a brief visit by his family during which officials stated that the purpose of the visit was to request al-Nimr's family to "calm the angry protestors". According to al-Hassan[16] and Press TV,[17] al-Nimr had been tortured, had bruises on his face and had broken teeth". On 19 July, al-Nimr's family said that al-Nimr had started a hunger strike.[17] Al-Nimr's family visited him again on 22 July. They stated that he had been badly tortured, with signs of torture on his head, that he was continuing his hunger strike, and that he had weakened.[26] Al-Nimr's wife, Muna Jabir al-Shariyavi, died in a New York hospital while he was imprisoned. Two thousand people attended the funeral in Safwa on the evening of 30/31 August, called for al-Nimr to be unconditionally freed, for all Shia and Sunni detainees to be freed, and chanted "Down with Hamad", "Bahrain Free Free, Peninsula Shield out".[14] On 21 August, the Asharq Center for Human Rights expressed concern that al-Nimr was on the 45-th day of his hunger strike while in prison and said that he had not been charged. The Asharq Center appealed for international support for allowing access to al-Nimr by his family, lawyer and human rights activists.[18] Trial[edit] Amnesty International stated that apart from the charge of firing at security forces on 8 July 2012, the other charges, of "disobeying the ruler", "inciting sectarian strife" and "encouraging, leading and participating in demonstrations" were based on documentary evidence of al-Nimr's sermons and interviews. Amnesty viewed these as representing the right to free speech and that al-Nimr did not incite violence in these. Amnesty stated that witnesses whose testimonies were used during the trial did not testify in court and that al-Nimr's lawyer was not given a fair possibility to defend him.[20] The European Saudi Society for Human Rights (ESSHR) reported details of five of al-Nimr's court appearances following the 8 July 2012 arrest. According to the ESSHR, 33 charges were laid in the first appearance, on 25 March 2013. On the 29 April 2013 court appearance, the defence was unable to respond to the charges because it did not have the details of the list of charges. On 23 December 2013, al-Nimr's lawyer said that al-Nimr was unable to respond to the charges because he did not have a pen and paper. Al-Nimr's lawyer was informed one day before the fourth appearance, on 15 April 2014. The ESSHR stated that neither al-Nimr's lawyer nor his family were informed prior to the fifth court session, on 22 April 2014.[27] October 2014 death sentence[edit] On 15 October 2014, al-Nimr was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court for "seeking 'foreign meddling' in [Saudi Arabia], 'disobeying' its rulers and taking up arms against the security forces".[19] Said Boumedouha of Amnesty International stated that the death sentence was "part of a campaign by the authorities in Saudi Arabia to crush all dissent, including those defending the rights of the Kingdom's Shi'a Muslim community."[20] Nimr al-Nimr's brother, Mohammad al-Nimr, tweeted information about the death sentence[19] and was arrested on the same day.[20] The head of Iran’s armed forces warned Saudi Arabia that it would “pay dearly” if it carried out the execution.[28] 2015 appeal and imminent execution[edit] In March 2015 the appeal court of Saudi Arabia upheld the death sentence against Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.[29] On 25 October 2015, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia turned down the appeal moved by family of Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr against death sentence. The brother of Nimr, while discussing with reporter of Reuters disclosed that decision came out as a result of hearing without notice to lawyers and family members of Sheikh Nimr. However, his brother had a hope from King Salman for grant of pardon from sentence of death.[30][31][32] Execution[edit] On 2 January 2016, Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry announced that Nimr had been among 47 people executed.[33][21] Surprisingly, the list of those executed does not include Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr, the cleric's nephew, who has also been sentenced to death over his alleged role in anti-regime protests in 2012, when he was 17 years old.[34] Reactions against the death sentence to Sheikh Nimr[edit] On Saturday 8 November 2014, there was a demonstration outside Downing Street where Amina Taylor of Press TV (London) conveyed the Britons' request to the head of the UK Government for his intervention on behalf of prominent Saudi Arabian Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr who was handed the death sentence in October 2014.[35] Reportedly on 13 November 2014 Muslims of different nationalities including Afghan, Iranian, Indian, Pakistani, Iraqi and Lebanese gathered in an organized protest in front of the United Nations against the death sentence of Sheikh Nimr and raised their voice for the freedom of all political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.[36] In March 2015 Nigerian people staged a protest in the city of Kano against the detention and death sentence of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, according to Tasnim News Agency.[37] On 13 May 2015 Shia marjas Ja'far Sobhani, Naser Makarem Shirazi, and Hossein Noori Hamedani condemned the death sentence.[38] Aware of the imminence of the execution of Sheikh Nimr in May 2015, Shia Muslims all over the world have staged peacful rallies and forwarded their petition to UNO to prevent the death sentence. Protests intensified and people took to the streets in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, India and Iraq. In Iran, the only country with a predominantly Shiite population in the Middle East, clerics and scholars staged a mass sit-in on 13 May in Qom and Mashhad, to show their solidarity with Sheikh Nimr and record their agitation.[39] On 17 May 2015 Ahlul Bayt News Agency reported a peaceful protest rally in solidarity with Sheikh al-Nimr staged in Berlin, Germany. Demonstrators demanded that the Saudi Government immediately release Sheikh Nimr and drop all illegal charges against the Shia Saudi cleric. The protesters also condemned the systematic and widespread violations of human rights in Saudi Arabia.[40] On December 31, 2015, a group of prominent Sunni clerics of Iran called the United Nations and other international organizations in a letter for heightened efforts to free al-Nimr.[41] Petitions from NGOs[edit] On 20 November, 2015, besides two volunteers working for human rights and international religious freedom, 15 organisations from different religions and communities functioning for rule of humanity and justice have collectively requested the US Secretary of State to approach and press the King of Saudia Arabia to waive the sentence of death awarded to Sheikh Nimr, Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher. The signatories of the petition were: Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB); Amnesty International; Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy; Center for Inquiry (CFI); European Center for Democracy & Human Rights (ECDHR); European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR); Freedom House Human Rights Foundation; Human Rights Watch; Hindu American Foundation (HAF), International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF); Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (MHRSA); Muslim Public Affairs Council; PEN American Center; Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED); Shia Rights Watch (SRW); Dr. Toby Matthiesen, Senior Research Fellow in International Relations of the Middle East at the University of Oxford; William C. Walsh, lawyer.[42] Reactions to execution[edit] Riyadh's main regional rival Iran and its Shia allies immediately reacted with vigorous condemnation, threatening Saudi Arabia and the House of Saud with severe repercussions, in protests ranging as far as India.[43] Saudi Arabia People in the Qatif region of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province have taken to the streets with protesters marching from Nimr’s hometown of al-Awamiya to Qatif, chanting, "Down with the Al Saud".[44] Sheikh Nimr's brother, Mohammed al-Nimr, said that the pro-democracy movement in Saudi Arbia will only grow up after this execution.[45] He described his brother as "a humble, religious man who lived a simple life, making him attractive to many youths", and that his execution "will spark anger of (Shia) youths", and said he hoped any response would be peaceful.[43] Saudi Arabia summoned the Iranian ambassador in Riyadh over Iran’s "hostile" remarks after the execution.[46] Bahrain Hundreds of people held a protest rally in the capital Manama.[47] Demonstrators carrying pictures of Sheikh Nimr were involved in a clash with police in the Bahraini village of Abu-Saiba.[48] Bahraini government, a Saudi ally which also has faced unrest from its Shia majority population, backed the execution.[43] Germany - an unidentified German Foreign Ministry official expressed concern over the execution.[49][43] Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khameni tweeted that "[a]wakening is not suppressible",[50] and compared the Saudi government to the ISIL, also famous for its mass executions.[43] Khamenei's website carried a picture of a Saudi executioner next to notorious Islamic State executioner Jihadi John, with the caption "Any differences?"[51] The speaker of Iranian parliament Ali Larijani said the execution will prompt a "maelstrom" in Saudi Arabia.[52] Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Saudi Arabian chargé d'affaires.[53] Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said the execution of Sheikh Nimr "who had no means other than speech to pursue his political and religious objectives only shows the depth of imprudence and irresponsibility".[44] He said that the Saudi government "supports terrorist movements and extremists, but confronts domestic critics with oppression and execution".[54] Iranian lawmakers asked the Foreign Ministry to downgrade diplomatic ties with the Saudi government.[46] Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, member of the Assembly of Experts and Friday prayer Imam, predicted the fall of Saudi Arabia's ruling family following the execution.[54] Both high-ranking Shia and Sunni clerics of Iran condemned the execution. Shia marja Naser Makarem Shirazi called it "deeply shocking" and called the Saudi government "the center for spreading sedition and Takfiri ideology". Grand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi-Golpaygani said the execution "once again showed the criminal nature" of the Al Saud regime and that it paves the way for the regime's fall. Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani urged all Shia and Sunni Muslims to react against the incident. Ayatollah Abbas Kaabi, Seyed Mohammad Vaez Mousavi and Ayatollah Hassan Mamdouhi also slammed the executions, underlining that "Saudis has dug its own grave". Ayatollah Hosseini Bushehri the head of Qom Seminary Schools announced that large number of clerics and seminary school students of Qom will close their teachings sessions on Sunday.[55][56] Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (IRGC) condemned the execution, comparing the attitude and actions to those of ISIL. IRGC said "harsh revenge" would topple "this pro-terrorist, anti-Islamic regime". Saudi Arabia summoned the Iranian ambassador in response.[51] Sunni clerics including representative of Iran's Sunni-populated Southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan at the Assembly of Experts, Chairman of the Sunni Lawmakers' Fraction at the Iranian parliament Abed Fattahi, Molawi Abdolhamid Ismailzehi (the Friday prayers leader of Iran's Southeastern city of Zahedan) also condemned the execution. Iranian seminaries held a protest rally in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran and condemned execution of the Shiite cleric by chanting "death to Al Saud".[57] Locals in Tehran gathered outside the Saudi diplomatic mission to protest the execution. Elsewhere, in the Iranian holy city of Qom, dozens of men, some dressed in robes and turbans, marched through the city, holding up pictures of al-Nimr.[46] Reports have emerged of crowds breaking into and setting fires at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has appealed for calm, and to respect diplomatic premises.[58] Palestine Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) condemned the execution, saying that the Saudi government "insists on pouring oil to the flames of sectarian sedition".[57] Britain - Britain’s shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn, described the execution as "profoundly wrong", and condemned the act of execution in general.[43] Iraq Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the execution would have repercussions on regional security. [43] The Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a Shia political party, and several Iraqi Shia MPs condemned the execution.[59] Former Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki said that his countrymen "strongly condemn these detestable sectarian practices" and said that this "crime" will be the downfall of the Saudi government, just as "the crime of executing the martyr al-Sadr did to Saddam".[48] In Iraq, prominent religious and political figures demanded that Iraqi-Saudi ties be severed.[51] Head of the Badr Organization, Qasim al-Araji, said "it's a big crime that has opened the gates of hell", calling on Baghdad to cut diplomatic ties "immediately".[46] Asaib Ahl al-Haq, another Iran-backed militia group, has accused Saudi Arabia of seeking to provoke Sunni-Shiite strife, adding that "What the use of having a Saudi embassy in Iraq?"[46] Moqtada al-Sadr, a prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric, called for demonstrations to take place in Arab states of the Persian Gulf to protest the execution of al-Nimr.[46] Kataib Hezbollah's leader, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, hailed the execution of al-Nimr as "a crime that is added to the criminal record of Al Saud".[46] Lebanon Hezbollah - Hezbollah condemned the killing as an "assassination", describing Sheikh Nimr as a spiritual scholar who always sought dialogue and resisted injustice.[60] Lebanon's Supreme Islamic Shia Council called the execution of al-Nimr "an execution of reason, moderation and dialogue" and a "grave mistake".[43][46] Pakistan Pakistan’s Muslims Unity Assembly decried the execution as a challenge against millions of Muslims worldwide.[47] Yemen Ansarullah movement (the Houthis) described Sheikh Nimr as a "holy warrior" and called the Saudi execution a "flagrant violation of human rights"[47] after a "mock trial".[46] European Union High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini condemned the execution, stating that "The specific case of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr raises serious concerns regarding freedom of expression and the respect of basic civil and political rights".[61] Reactions by organizations[edit] Numerous Shiite actors and Shiite organizations have vowed to avenge the death of Nimr al Nimr by overthrowing the Saudi royal family or cutting all economic and diplomatic ties with the monarchy.[62][63] Human Rights Watch said the executions "further stains Saudi Arabia’s troubling human rights record". Sarah Leah Whitson, the group's Middle East director, said Nimr was convicted in an unfair trial and that his execution was "only adding to the existing sectarian discord and unrest".[43] adding that "Saudi Arabia’s path to stability in the Eastern Province lies in ending systematic discrimination against Shia citizens, not in executions".[46] Amnesty called Sheikh Nimr's trial political, grossly unfair and the execution was to settle political scores.[64] [65] Personal life[edit] Nimr al-Nimr's nephew, Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr, who participated in the 2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests,[66][67] was arrested in 2012 at the age of 17, sentenced to death in 2014, and expected ratification of his sentence by King Salman, to be carried out by beheading and crucifixion.[66][67] See also[edit] Shi'a Islam in Saudi Arabia References[edit] 1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Gfoeller, Michael (2008-08-23). "Meeting with controversial Shi'a sheikh Nimr". WikiLeaks. 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Saudi Arabia executions threaten to plunge Middle East into greater turmoil Mass executions have been seen as a statement of intent delivered by an increasingly powerless Saudi Interior Minister Bill Law, James Cusick, Sam Masters | @billlaw49 | 4 hours ago| 5 comments | 6shares A protester holds a portrait of Sheik Nimr al-Nimr in Qatif A protester holds a portrait of Sheik Nimr al-Nimr in Qatif AFP/Getty The beheading of dozens of Sunni and Shia prisoners by the West’s main Middle East ally, Saudi Arabia, threatens to renew sectarian violence in the oil-rich kingdom and plunge the Middle East into greater turmoil. The mass executions – in Riyadh, Mecca, Medina and in the eastern and northern regions – have been seen as a bloody statement of intent delivered by an increasingly powerless Saudi Interior Minister. Among those killed was Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a leading Shia cleric with the rank of ayatollah, a political prisoner and vocal supporter of protests against the Saudi royal family. His death, which has sparked outrage in Iran, the dominant Shia power in the region, is likely to lead to an escalation of hostilities in Yemen, where a proxy war between the two nations is being fought. Read more Saudi executions were worthy of Isis – so what now for the West? Iran’s leaders reacted furiously. Seminary students marched through the holy city of Qom in protest. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a senior cleric, told the Mehr news agency: “I have no doubt that this pure blood will stain the collar of the House of Saud and wipe them from the pages of history.” Protests were also reported in Indian-controlled Kashmir, Pakistan, Bahrain, Iraq and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Hundreds of armoured vehicles have been sent to Qatif in the province to contain protests. Security forces in other Shia-populated areas are also said to be on high alert. The cleric’s brother, Muhammad al-Nimr, appealed for calm, saying his brother had wanted only “peaceful protests”. Protesters in Bahrain held up placards reading: “Damn you.” Tear gas was later fired to disperse the crowds. “In Bahrain, we knew Sheikh Nimr as a peaceful reformist,” said Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, the advocacy director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy. “His loss will be mourned throughout the world.” Regional sources told The Independent on Sunday that the deaths were ordered as part of a feud that threatens the future of the Saudi royal family. The executions went ahead despite international condemnation and calls to spare six Shia prisoners who had been jailed – three as juveniles – under the kingdom’s draconian anti-terror laws. The execution of Sheikh Nimr, ordered by Interior Minister Muhammad bin Nayef, has escalated the sectarian hatred that is tearing the region apart. An internecine power struggle within the ruling family is predicted to affect the country’s relationships with both its neighbours and the West, which holds lucrative arms contracts with Saudi Arabia. 4-wreckage-Reuters.jpg Bombing in Yemen In Britain, it was left to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to offer qualified criticism of the Saudis. An FCO spokesman said that Britain “opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country”, adding that it undermined human dignity and did not work as a deterrent. Responding to questions from The IoS, the shadow Foreign Secretary, Hilary Benn, said Saudi Arabia was “profoundly wrong” to have executed Sheikh Nimr. He said London should “seek assurances” from Riyadh that his nephew Ali al-Nimr would not be killed. Read more Former Iraq PM al-Maliki says execution will 'topple Saudi regime' In Iraq, where Iranian militia have been fighting Islamic State alongside the army and where, this week, Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy for the first time since Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki said: “We strongly condemn these detestable sectarian practices and affirm that the crime of executing Sheikh al-Nimr will topple the Saudi regime.” Iraq’s Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, said: “Violating human rights leads to repercussions on the security, stability and the social fabric of the peoples of the region.” Mohammed al-Sayhud, an MP from Iraq’s ruling coalition, said the execution of Sheikh Nimr was intended to “set the region on fire”. Of the six sentenced to death as young men, three were killed – Mohammed al-Sheikh, Ali al-Rebh and Mohammad al-Suwaimil. Writing to The Independent a day before the executions, the mothers of the six, and Fatimah al-Faraj, the mother of Sheikh Nimr, described their collective torment. “Their right to life could be taken away at any moment,” the women wrote. 'Free Sheikh Nimr!' - Londoners at Saudi Embassy Mohammed bin Nayef, the Interior Minister, was once viewed as the most significant power in the Saudi elite. In an attempt to reassert his authority over the Defence Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, he ordered the 47 men to be executed, The IoS has learned. “[He] was desperate to prove his authority inside the ruling family,” a source said. “Mohammed bin Nayef had nothing left. Mohammed bin Salman had taken everything else. He had no other tools.” Also killed were two Sunni clerics, Faris al-Showail and Hamad al-Humaiti, both held for several years before being executed. They were advocates of violent jihad and al-Qaeda sympathisers. Saudi Arabia’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, said the executions were carried out in line with Islamic law and the need to safeguard the kingdom’s security. He described the executions as a “mercy to the prisoners”. Sheikh Nimr was seen as a key figure in protests that broke out among Shia communities in the oil-rich Eastern Province in the wake of the Arab Spring in 2011. He was arrested a year later. His nephew, Ali al-Nimr, who was 17 when he was arrested and also faces execution, was not listed as one of those killed. Neither was Dawoud al-Marhon and Abdullah al-Zaher, whose mothers wrote to The Independent last week. Read more Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Profile of the cleric executed by Saudi Arabia The former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind told The IoS: “The sad fact is that, over the last 100 or 200 years, this is what the Saudi system of justice has produced. We deplore it and find it abhorrent, but it is not done as an act of terrorism. We probably did the same a few hundred years ago when we burnt people at the stake.” Iran’s retaliation could come in Yemen, where Shia Houthi rebels backed by Tehran are fighting a Saudi-led coalition. The Saudi-led coalition, which has been bombing the Houthis in Yemen for nine months, announced the end of a ceasefire that began on 15 December. The ceasefire had been repeatedly violated by both sides. Almost 6,000 people have been killed since the Saudi coalition entered the conflict in March, almost half of them civilians. Asked if the UK should be pressing the Saudis to reform their policies, Sir Malcolm said: “That is not the way the world works. You can’t just trade with the countries you approve of, otherwise you would be ruling out trade with China, Russia, and probably three-quarters of the world.” More about: | Saudi Arabia| executions| Nimr al-Nimr|