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| Saudi Arabia executes prominent Shiite cleric and 46 others in 12 cities | Saudi Arabia executes prominent Shiite cleric and 46 others in 12 cities |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed a prominent Shiite cleric who played a key role in protests against the kingdom’s Sunni royal family, igniting sectarian tensions across the already inflamed region and jeopardizing a new burst of U.S. diplomacy aimed at tamping down conflicts in the Middle East. | BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed a prominent Shiite cleric who played a key role in protests against the kingdom’s Sunni royal family, igniting sectarian tensions across the already inflamed region and jeopardizing a new burst of U.S. diplomacy aimed at tamping down conflicts in the Middle East. |
| Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, 56, was among a group of 47 people put to death in 12 different cities around the country, either by firing squad or beheading, according to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry. | Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, 56, was among a group of 47 people put to death in 12 different cities around the country, either by firing squad or beheading, according to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry. |
| Most of those executed were Sunnis accused of participating in Al Qaeda attacks in the kingdom. Nimr, however, was one of four Shiites put to death for their political activism, and he was the leading figure in the anti-government demonstrations that swept the mostly Shiite east of the country in 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring protests taking place elsewhere in the region. | Most of those executed were Sunnis accused of participating in Al Qaeda attacks in the kingdom. Nimr, however, was one of four Shiites put to death for their political activism, and he was the leading figure in the anti-government demonstrations that swept the mostly Shiite east of the country in 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring protests taking place elsewhere in the region. |
| The death sentence was carried out despite widespread international appeals for clemency and repeated warnings from the kingdom’s arch- enemy Iran that there would be consequences if the hugely popular cleric were killed. | The death sentence was carried out despite widespread international appeals for clemency and repeated warnings from the kingdom’s arch- enemy Iran that there would be consequences if the hugely popular cleric were killed. |
| Predictably, Shiites around the world expressed outrage, including Iran, potentially complicating a sudden surge of diplomacy spearheaded by the United States aimed at bringing peace to the troubled region, according to Toby Matthiesen, an expert on Saudi Arabia at the University of Oxford. | Predictably, Shiites around the world expressed outrage, including Iran, potentially complicating a sudden surge of diplomacy spearheaded by the United States aimed at bringing peace to the troubled region, according to Toby Matthiesen, an expert on Saudi Arabia at the University of Oxford. |
| “Nimr had become a household name amongst Shiite Muslims around the world. Many had thought his execution would be a red line, and would further inflame sectarian tensions,” he said. “So this will complicate a whole range of issues, from the Syrian crisis to Yemen.” | “Nimr had become a household name amongst Shiite Muslims around the world. Many had thought his execution would be a red line, and would further inflame sectarian tensions,” he said. “So this will complicate a whole range of issues, from the Syrian crisis to Yemen.” |
| Saudi Arabia and Iran are backing rival sides in Syria’s war, and their enmity already risks derailing a diplomatic effort led by the United States and Russia to convene peace talks between the factions in Geneva later this month. | Saudi Arabia and Iran are backing rival sides in Syria’s war, and their enmity already risks derailing a diplomatic effort led by the United States and Russia to convene peace talks between the factions in Geneva later this month. |
| The two feuding powers also support opposing sides in the war in Yemen and more broadly find themselves in opposition in the deeply divided politics of the mixed Sunni-Shiite nations of Iraq and Lebanon. | The two feuding powers also support opposing sides in the war in Yemen and more broadly find themselves in opposition in the deeply divided politics of the mixed Sunni-Shiite nations of Iraq and Lebanon. |
| The Obama administration’s hopes that the conclusion last summer of an agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear deal would help bridge the sectarian divide between Tehran and its biggest Arab ally were further diminished by the eruption of fury that followed Nimr’s death. | The Obama administration’s hopes that the conclusion last summer of an agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear deal would help bridge the sectarian divide between Tehran and its biggest Arab ally were further diminished by the eruption of fury that followed Nimr’s death. |
| In Washington, the State Department appealed for calm in the region and called on Saudi Arabia to respect human rights and permit peaceful expressions of dissent. | |
| “We are particularly concerned that the execution of prominent Shia cleric and political activist Nimr al-Nimr risks exacerbating sectarian tensions at a time when they urgently need to be reduced,” the State Department said in a statement. “In this context, we reiterate the need for leaders throughout the region to redouble efforts aimed at de-escalating regional tensions.” | |
| The statement came hours after anti-Saudi demonstrations were held in several Iranian cities, including Mashad, where protesters set fire to the Saudi consulate, and warnings from Iran’s Foreign Ministry that there would be repercussions | |
| “The Saudi government will pay a heavy price for adopting such policies,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari, calling the execution “the depth of imprudence and irresponsibility” on the part of the Saudi government, according to Iranian news agencies. | “The Saudi government will pay a heavy price for adopting such policies,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari, calling the execution “the depth of imprudence and irresponsibility” on the part of the Saudi government, according to Iranian news agencies. |
| Iran summoned the Saudi charge d’affaires in Tehran to complain about the execution, and Saudi Arabia reciprocated by calling in the Iranian ambassador in Riyadh to protest the “hostile” remarks made by Iranian officials. | Iran summoned the Saudi charge d’affaires in Tehran to complain about the execution, and Saudi Arabia reciprocated by calling in the Iranian ambassador in Riyadh to protest the “hostile” remarks made by Iranian officials. |
| The execution also triggered renewed unrest in both Saudi Arabia and neighboring Bahrain, after years of calm following the suppression of the demonstrations in 2011. | The execution also triggered renewed unrest in both Saudi Arabia and neighboring Bahrain, after years of calm following the suppression of the demonstrations in 2011. |
| Activists from both countries used Twitter and other social media accounts to appeal for a new uprising. In Qatif, hundreds of people took to the streets to protest, and Saudi Arabia expanded patrols and bolstered checkpoints to deter further upheaval, according to a Qatif activist, who asked not to be named because he fears for his safety. | Activists from both countries used Twitter and other social media accounts to appeal for a new uprising. In Qatif, hundreds of people took to the streets to protest, and Saudi Arabia expanded patrols and bolstered checkpoints to deter further upheaval, according to a Qatif activist, who asked not to be named because he fears for his safety. |
| The Nimr family issued a statement expressing shock and dismay at the execution, and also urging “restraint and self control” among Nimr’s followers. | The Nimr family issued a statement expressing shock and dismay at the execution, and also urging “restraint and self control” among Nimr’s followers. |
| His brother, Mohammed al-Nimr, pledged on his Twitter account that the pro-democracy movement will endure. | His brother, Mohammed al-Nimr, pledged on his Twitter account that the pro-democracy movement will endure. |
| “Wrong, misled and mistaken [are] those who think that the killing will keep us from our rightful demands,” he tweeted after the execution was announced. | “Wrong, misled and mistaken [are] those who think that the killing will keep us from our rightful demands,” he tweeted after the execution was announced. |
| In Bahrain, where widespread demonstrations by the country’s Shiite majority against the ruling Sunni royal family were quelled by the intervention of Saudi troops in 2011, there were reports of scattered protests in several Shiite towns and villages. Videos posted on YouTube by Bahraini activists showed hundreds of people, some of them wearing T-shirts featuring the bearded cleric’s face, marching through the streets in at least four locations. | In Bahrain, where widespread demonstrations by the country’s Shiite majority against the ruling Sunni royal family were quelled by the intervention of Saudi troops in 2011, there were reports of scattered protests in several Shiite towns and villages. Videos posted on YouTube by Bahraini activists showed hundreds of people, some of them wearing T-shirts featuring the bearded cleric’s face, marching through the streets in at least four locations. |
| Nimr had long served as the voice of Saudi Arabia’s widely discriminated- against Shiite minority, but he shot to prominence during the 2011 protests, publicly articulating the sentiments not only of Shiites but many others in the region demanding change after decades of authoritarian rule. | Nimr had long served as the voice of Saudi Arabia’s widely discriminated- against Shiite minority, but he shot to prominence during the 2011 protests, publicly articulating the sentiments not only of Shiites but many others in the region demanding change after decades of authoritarian rule. |
| He had consistently advocated non-violence and his views transcended the Sunni-Shiite divide, said Maryam Al-Khawaja, a Bahrain human rights activist with the Gulf Center for Human Rights, who lives in exile in Denmark. | He had consistently advocated non-violence and his views transcended the Sunni-Shiite divide, said Maryam Al-Khawaja, a Bahrain human rights activist with the Gulf Center for Human Rights, who lives in exile in Denmark. |
| “He said Sunnis and Shiites should unite, and that anyone who supports the oppressors should be condemned,” she said, citing a 2012 speech Nimr delivered in which he condemned both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is from the Shiite-affiliated Alawite sect and is backed by Iran, and the region’s Sunni authoritarian leaders, including the Saudi royal family. | “He said Sunnis and Shiites should unite, and that anyone who supports the oppressors should be condemned,” she said, citing a 2012 speech Nimr delivered in which he condemned both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is from the Shiite-affiliated Alawite sect and is backed by Iran, and the region’s Sunni authoritarian leaders, including the Saudi royal family. |
| “This was a big part of why he became problematic for the Saudi regime, because he refused to abide by the sectarian discourse that is basically enforced on everyone,” she said. | “This was a big part of why he became problematic for the Saudi regime, because he refused to abide by the sectarian discourse that is basically enforced on everyone,” she said. |
| Nimr was arrested by Saudi security forces in 2012, after being shot in the legs during a car chase. He had been charged with “instigating unrest and undermining the kingdom’s security,” as well as delivering speeches against the government and defending political prisoners. | Nimr was arrested by Saudi security forces in 2012, after being shot in the legs during a car chase. He had been charged with “instigating unrest and undermining the kingdom’s security,” as well as delivering speeches against the government and defending political prisoners. |
| [Sectarianism comes back to bite Saudi Arabia] | [Sectarianism comes back to bite Saudi Arabia] |
| Condemnations also poured in from other Shiite figures and organizations around the region. Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement said it held the United States and its allies responsible for Nimr’s execution because “they are giving direct protection to the Saudi regime.” | Condemnations also poured in from other Shiite figures and organizations around the region. Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement said it held the United States and its allies responsible for Nimr’s execution because “they are giving direct protection to the Saudi regime.” |
| “This crime will remain a black mark that will plague the Saudi regime, which has been committing massacres since its inception,” it said in a statement. | “This crime will remain a black mark that will plague the Saudi regime, which has been committing massacres since its inception,” it said in a statement. |
| In Iraq, there was an outpouring of anger from Shiite leaders and politicians, with the influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr calling on Shiites in Iraq and around the region to to protest the execution. He told Iraqis to take their demonstrations to the newly reopened Saudi Embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, which welcomed a new Saudi ambassador to Iraq only on Friday for the first time in nearly 25 years. | In Iraq, there was an outpouring of anger from Shiite leaders and politicians, with the influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr calling on Shiites in Iraq and around the region to to protest the execution. He told Iraqis to take their demonstrations to the newly reopened Saudi Embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, which welcomed a new Saudi ambassador to Iraq only on Friday for the first time in nearly 25 years. |
| Iraq’s Sumeria television channel later reported that Shiites were staging protests in the Shiite city of Karbala, demanding that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi close the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad. | Iraq’s Sumeria television channel later reported that Shiites were staging protests in the Shiite city of Karbala, demanding that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi close the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad. |
| Abadi condemned the execution, but offered no immediate response. Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement also issued a condemnation on its website. | Abadi condemned the execution, but offered no immediate response. Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement also issued a condemnation on its website. |
| [In legacy of a revered martyr, Saudi Shiites find sustenance] | [In legacy of a revered martyr, Saudi Shiites find sustenance] |
| The advocacy group Amnesty International criticized all of the executions, including those of the accused Al Qaeda operatives, saying those killed had not been given fair trials. Nimr’s execution, in particular, suggested the Saudi authorities “are using the death penalty, in the name of counter terror, to settle scores and crush dissidents,” Amnesty International said in a statement. | The advocacy group Amnesty International criticized all of the executions, including those of the accused Al Qaeda operatives, saying those killed had not been given fair trials. Nimr’s execution, in particular, suggested the Saudi authorities “are using the death penalty, in the name of counter terror, to settle scores and crush dissidents,” Amnesty International said in a statement. |
| Nimr’s nephew, Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, was sentenced last year to death by crucifixion for participating in the protests while he was 16 or 17 years old, also drawing widespread international condemnation. | Nimr’s nephew, Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, was sentenced last year to death by crucifixion for participating in the protests while he was 16 or 17 years old, also drawing widespread international condemnation. |
| Saudi Arabia has carried out at least 157 beheadings in the past year, a record number according to human rights groups. | Saudi Arabia has carried out at least 157 beheadings in the past year, a record number according to human rights groups. |
| Mustafa Salim in Baghdad and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. | Mustafa Salim in Baghdad and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. |
| Read more | Read more |
| Ali al-Nimr was a boy when thrown in Saudi prison | Ali al-Nimr was a boy when thrown in Saudi prison |
| Ali al-Namr’s mother urged President Obama to ‘rescue’ her son | Ali al-Namr’s mother urged President Obama to ‘rescue’ her son |
| Shiite protests pose major challenge for Saudi Arabia | Shiite protests pose major challenge for Saudi Arabia |