Revered Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia has death sentence upheld on appeal

Nimr’s brother Mohammed said the sentence had been upheld after hearings that took place without his lawyers or family members being given prior notice.

He said: “Saudi Arabia is a sovereign state”.

The gunman was shot dead by police.

Convicted of multiple charges including “sowing discord in the country”, Nimr was sentenced in October 2014 to be executed and have his body left on public display. However, he claims he has never called for violence.

In its editorial today, the newspaper said that HRH Premier played a major role in strengthening the solid and distinguished Bahraini-Saudi relations, stressing that thanks to his sound approach, relations between the brotherly countries have become exemplary ones based on mutual understanding, love and full coordination on all regional and global issues. “This verdict could cause major trouble… because my brother Sheikh al-Nimr is a prominent figure for Shiites, mainly in the Gulf”.

The Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom has warned of an “alarming change” in Britain’s attitude towards Saudi Arabia following what he described as “breaches in mutual respect”.

At the same time, the central government suspects the Shiite-dominated Iran of inciting Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority to disobedience.

‘The series of catastrophic events in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage coupled with the incompetent military invasion of Saudi Arabia against the innocent Yemeni people prove that the conditions in that country are inappropriate, ‘ he said.

“The death sentence against Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr is 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”, Said Boumedouha, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, said.

Nimr is regarded as one of the most outspoken Shiite leaders against the ruling al-Saud family.

Their case sparked global criticism, as the youths are believed to have been under age 18 at the time of their arrest.

Saudi Arabia has complained through its London embassy about accusations in Western media that Ali al-Nimr’s sentencing was politically motivated. The diplomats said that the kingdom “rejects any form of interference in its internal affairs and any impingement on its sovereignty”.