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| Middle East condemns Saudi execution of Shia cleric - live | Middle East condemns Saudi execution of Shia cleric - live |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| 11.57am GMT11:57 | |
| Announcing the executions today, the Saudi interior ministry said the 47 had been convicted of adopting the radical “takfiri” ideology, joining “terrorist organisations” and implementing various “criminal plots”. | |
| 11.53am GMT11:53 | |
| Brother of Shia cleric executed in Saudi calls for calm | |
| Nimr al-Nimr’s execution could arouse anger among the minority’s youths, his brother warned, while calling for calm. | |
| “This action will spark anger of (Shia) youths” Mohammed al-Nimr told AFP, appealing instead for a “peaceful protest movement”. | |
| “We reject violence and clashing with authorities, just like the martyr sheikh rejected it.” | |
| Nimr, 56, was among a group of 47 convicts executed on Saturday for “terrorism”, the Saudi authorities said. “We deplore” the execution, said his brother, adding that he was “surprised” when he learned the death sentence had been implemented. “We were expecting and hoping for wisdom and a political solution to prevail. | |
| “There were parties inside and outside the kingdom who were seeking” to resolve Nimr’s case, he said. | |
| The brother said there was no proof that the cleric or other executed activists were involved in any violence. He identified three of these activists as Ali Saeed al-Ribh, Mohammed Abdulkarim Sumail and Mohammed al-Shuyookh. | |
| They were also on an interior ministry list that excluded the name of Mohammed al-Nimr’s own son, Ali, who was 17 when he was arrested following the protests and also faces a death sentence. The situation of Ali “is very dangerous. The sword is at his neck unless he is returned back to his family,” said Nimr. | |
| The executions send a “strong and negative message,” he said. “There will be negative reactions from within the kingdom and abroad. But we hope for peaceful reactions.” | |
| 11.41am GMT11:41 | |
| Saudi Arabia’s top cleric defends the execution of 47 people | |
| In contrast to the outcry of many Middle Eastern religious leaders, Saudi Arabia’s top cleric has defended the execution of 47 people, calling it a “mercy to the prisoners” because it would save them from committing more evil acts and prevent chaos. | |
| Grand mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Alal-Sheikh said in a statement that the executions announced Saturday were in line with Islamic law and the need to safeguard the kingdom’s security. | |
| Islamic scholars around the world hold vastly different views on the application of the death penalty in Shariah law, with Saudi judges adhering to one of the strictest interpretations. | |
| Updated at 11.42am GMT | |
| 11.35am GMT11:35 | |
| Saudi-led coalition ends ceasefire in Yemen | |
| In a further development, the Saudi-led coalition that has been bombing the Houthi insurgency in Yemen for nine months announced on Saturday the end to a ceasefire that began on 15 December but was repeatedly violated by both sides, the Saudi state news agency SPA said on its twitter account. | |
| Coalition Command in #Yemen declares end of Yemen truce as of 14:00 Saturday Afternoon. #SPAGOV | |
| “The leadership of the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen announces the end of the truce in Yemen beginning at 14:00 (11:00 GMT) on Saturday,” the agency said. | |
| Updated at 11.36am GMT | |
| 11.30am GMT11:30 | |
| We’re getting more details of the executions now. | |
| Most of the 47 executed alongside the prominent Shia cleric were convicted of al-Qaida attacks in Saudi Arabia a decade ago, but four, including Nimr al-Nimr, were Shia Muslims accused of shooting policemen during anti-government protests in recent years. | |
| The executions took place in 12 cities in Saudi Arabia with four prisons using firing squads and the others beheading. The bodies were then hanged from gibbets in the most severe form of punishment available in the kingdom’s Sharia Islamic law. | |
| 11.25am GMT11:25 | 11.25am GMT11:25 |
| The Saudi interior ministry’s list of the executed, published in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency, does not include the cleric’s nephew, Ali al-Nimr, whose arrest at the age of 17 and alleged torture during detention sparked condemnation from human rights groups and the United States. | The Saudi interior ministry’s list of the executed, published in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency, does not include the cleric’s nephew, Ali al-Nimr, whose arrest at the age of 17 and alleged torture during detention sparked condemnation from human rights groups and the United States. |
| 11.15am GMT11:15 | 11.15am GMT11:15 |
| Human Rights Watch say Shia cleric had an unfair trial | |
| US based Human Rights Watch have criticised the executions. Sarah Leah Whitson, the group’s Middle East director said: “Regardless of the crimes allegedly committed, executing prisoners in mass only further stains Saudi Arabia’s troubling human rights record.” | US based Human Rights Watch have criticised the executions. Sarah Leah Whitson, the group’s Middle East director said: “Regardless of the crimes allegedly committed, executing prisoners in mass only further stains Saudi Arabia’s troubling human rights record.” |
| She said al-Nimr was convicted in an “unfair” trial and that his execution “is only adding to the existing sectarian discord and unrest.” | She said al-Nimr was convicted in an “unfair” trial and that his execution “is only adding to the existing sectarian discord and unrest.” |
| “Saudi Arabia’s path to stability in the Eastern Province lies in ending systematic discrimination against Shia citizens, not in executions,” she added. | “Saudi Arabia’s path to stability in the Eastern Province lies in ending systematic discrimination against Shia citizens, not in executions,” she added. |
| Updated at 11.36am GMT | |
| 11.13am GMT11:13 | 11.13am GMT11:13 |
| Here are some images from the violent protests that have erupted in Bahrain last night and today. | Here are some images from the violent protests that have erupted in Bahrain last night and today. |
| 11.01am GMT11:01 | 11.01am GMT11:01 |
| Welcome to our live coverage of the reaction to Saudi Arabia’s execution of a leading Shia cleric. | Welcome to our live coverage of the reaction to Saudi Arabia’s execution of a leading Shia cleric. |
| Several religious leaders across the Middle East have already warned of repercussions for the state-sanctioned killing of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Saudi Arabia’s royal family has been warned to expect internal unrest and protests have begun elsewhere in the region. | Several religious leaders across the Middle East have already warned of repercussions for the state-sanctioned killing of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Saudi Arabia’s royal family has been warned to expect internal unrest and protests have begun elsewhere in the region. |
| In a serious escalation of religious and diplomatic tensions, opposing councils and clerics in Iran, Yemen and Lebanon said the killing of the prominent cleric would prompt widespread anger. | In a serious escalation of religious and diplomatic tensions, opposing councils and clerics in Iran, Yemen and Lebanon said the killing of the prominent cleric would prompt widespread anger. |
| Nimr’s execution - one of 47 carried out at the same time on New Year’s Day – sparked demonstrations in Bahrain where police have fired tear gas, according to witnesses. The deaths come as figures show the number of executions in Saudi Arabia has risen to the highest level in 20 years. | |
| Updated at 11.47am GMT |