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| Saudi execution of Shia cleric condemned by Middle East - live | Saudi execution of Shia cleric condemned by Middle East - live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.13pm GMT14:13 | |
| Saudi Arabia was “profoundly wrong” to have executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, Hilary Benn said in a statement. | |
| “Amnesty International expressed serious concerns about the charges and his trial, and we are opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances,” Labour’s shadow foreign secretary added. | |
| 2.05pm GMT14:05 | |
| Shia cleric Sadr calls for demonstrations in Gulf countries | |
| Prominent Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for demonstrations in Gulf countries and in Iraq to protest the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia. | |
| “I ask that the Shias of Saudi Arabia ... show courage in responding even through peaceful demonstrations, and the same for the Shias in the Gulf, so as to deter injustice and government terrorism in the future,” he said on his website. | |
| “I urge ... angry demonstrations in front of Saudi sites and interests, and I urge the government to refrain from opening the Saudi embassy,” he said. | |
| Already scores of Shia in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province marched through Nimr’s home district of Qatif shouting “down with the Al Saud”, and dozens more gathered in Indian controlled Kashmiri. In Bahrain, a Sunni-ruled island kingdom allied to Saudi Arabia, protesters clashed violently with police. | |
| In Iran, a rival to Saudi Arabia, state media channels carried non-stop coverage of clerics and secular officials eulogising Nimr and predicting the downfall of Saudi Arabia’s Sunni ruling family. | |
| Shia leaders in Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Yemen also warned of reprisals, in a signal that sectarian conflicts across the Middle East could be further inflamed. | |
| When Saudi Arabian security forces arrested Nimr in July 2012, it sparked days of protests where three people died, a sign of the regard many of the kingdom’s minority sect held for the preacher | |
| Updated at 2.09pm GMT | |
| 1.49pm GMT13:49 | |
| Hassan Hassan | |
| Hassan Hassan, Middle East expert and co-author of Isis: Inside the Army of Terror, explains the significance of Nimr’s execution. | |
| The execution of Nimr al-Nimr despite his high profile, popularity and the media pressure shows that for Saudi Arabia the stakes are higher if it pardoned the cleric. He was a key mobiliser of young Shia in the kingdom and beyond. He publicly called for wilayat al-faqih (the rule of cleric, the model currently in place in Iran) in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, though he also called for standing against tyrants regardless of their sect and he named Bashar al-Assad as a tyrant alongside Bahrain’s rulers. | |
| By executing him, Saudi Arabia is sending a message to outsiders and locals alike, that no matter what the world says, authorities will condemn and execute those who cross the redlines. | |
| The timing of the execution, which also include Sunni extremists, makes it the message particularly relevant. It comes at the backdrop of a series of political moves by Riyadh to consolidate its regional alliances, such as the Ankara-Doha-Riyadh axis and the broader bloc of various Muslim countries under the so-called Islamic Coalition. | |
| Also, this follows a strong-worded statement by Sheikh Abdelaziz Al Sheikh, the Saudi mufti, against Isis last week in which he called an extension of a dissentient religious movement that raised similar slogans. This focus on Shia and Sunni opponents - at home or in the neighbourhood - is important for Saudi Arabia to appease the population, show balance and demonstrate strength in a volatile regional landscape. | |
| Updated at 1.59pm GMT | |
| 1.30pm GMT13:30 | 1.30pm GMT13:30 |
| Protests have broken out in Indian-controlled Kashmir | |
| Hundreds of Shia Muslims in Indian-controlled Kashmir have rallied in the Shia-dominated areas in protest against the execution. | |
| Updated at 2.01pm GMT | |
| 1.18pm GMT13:18 | 1.18pm GMT13:18 |
| Mark Townsend | Mark Townsend |
| Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, whose execution by Saudi Arabia has sparked condemnation across the Middle East, rose to international prominence during the pro-democracy protests that erupted in the country’s eastern provinces in 2011. | Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, whose execution by Saudi Arabia has sparked condemnation across the Middle East, rose to international prominence during the pro-democracy protests that erupted in the country’s eastern provinces in 2011. |
| Nimr’s staunch and vocal support of the movement, in those regions where the Shia have a majority had frequently complained of marginalisation, saw the 56-year-old cited as the driving force behind the protests while affording him hero status among Saudi’s Shia youth. | |
| To the Sunni-ruled kingdom’s ruling elite, however, Nimr had become a high-profile thorn in its side. Inspired by the Arab Spring, mass anti-government protests in Saudi Arabia in 2011 included public speeches by Nimr that urged an end to the al-Saud monarchy and pushed for equality for the state’s Shia community.Read the rest of this analysis piece by my colleague Mark Townsend here. | |
| Updated at 2.05pm GMT | |
| 1.12pm GMT13:12 | 1.12pm GMT13:12 |
| Here’s more on the ceasefire with Yemen ending. | Here’s more on the ceasefire with Yemen ending. |
| Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition that has been battling Iran-backed rebels in neighbouring Yemen since March. The ceasefire announced on 15 December has now been ended due to continuous rebel “attacks on the kingdom’s territories by firing ballistic missiles towards Saudi cities, targeting Saudi border posts, and hampering aid operations,” it said. | Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition that has been battling Iran-backed rebels in neighbouring Yemen since March. The ceasefire announced on 15 December has now been ended due to continuous rebel “attacks on the kingdom’s territories by firing ballistic missiles towards Saudi cities, targeting Saudi border posts, and hampering aid operations,” it said. |
| The rebels have also “continued to shell residents and kill and detain Yemeni civilians in cities under their control,” said the coalition. “All this shows how unserious the militias and their allies are and their disregard for the lives of civilians, and how they have clearly exploited this truce to make gains.” | The rebels have also “continued to shell residents and kill and detain Yemeni civilians in cities under their control,” said the coalition. “All this shows how unserious the militias and their allies are and their disregard for the lives of civilians, and how they have clearly exploited this truce to make gains.” |
| However, the coalition “was and is still eager on creating the suitable circumstances to find a peaceful solution in Yemen,” it said. | However, the coalition “was and is still eager on creating the suitable circumstances to find a peaceful solution in Yemen,” it said. |
| 12.59pm GMT12:59 | 12.59pm GMT12:59 |
| The execution of Nimr will mark the end of Saudi Arabia’s government, according to Iraq’s former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. | |
| “We strongly condemn these detestable sectarian practices and affirm that the crime of executing Sheikh al-Nimr will topple the Saudi regime as the crime of executing the martyr (Mohammed Baqir) al-Sadr did to Saddam (Hussein),” said Maliki, referring to another prominent Shia cleric killed in 1980. | |
| In Lebanon, Hezbollah also condemned the execution, calling it an “assassination”. | In Lebanon, Hezbollah also condemned the execution, calling it an “assassination”. |
| The “real reason” for the execution was “that Sheikh Nimr ... demanded the squandered rights of an oppressed people,” the group said in a statement, apparently referring to Saudi Arabia’s Shia minority. | |
| Updated at 2.04pm GMT | |
| 12.47pm GMT12:47 | 12.47pm GMT12:47 |
| The execution of al-Nimr serves the interests of Islamic State, a prominent Iraqi lawmaker with ties to Iran, said on Saturday in a statement condemning the act. | The execution of al-Nimr serves the interests of Islamic State, a prominent Iraqi lawmaker with ties to Iran, said on Saturday in a statement condemning the act. |
| “The execution of Sheikh al-Nimr is a service to Daesh, which is betting on expanding by igniting sectarian wars,” said Humam Hamoudi, a prominent Shia politician and member of the powerful Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) party. | “The execution of Sheikh al-Nimr is a service to Daesh, which is betting on expanding by igniting sectarian wars,” said Humam Hamoudi, a prominent Shia politician and member of the powerful Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) party. |
| Updated at 12.48pm GMT | Updated at 12.48pm GMT |
| 12.37pm GMT12:37 | 12.37pm GMT12:37 |
| Saudi Shia Muslims chant 'down with Al Saud' as they protest execution | Saudi Shia Muslims chant 'down with Al Saud' as they protest execution |
| Scores of Shia Muslims marched through the Qatif district of Saudi Arabia’s eastern province on Saturday in protest at the execution of cleric Nimr al-Nimr, an eyewitness said. | Scores of Shia Muslims marched through the Qatif district of Saudi Arabia’s eastern province on Saturday in protest at the execution of cleric Nimr al-Nimr, an eyewitness said. |
| He was one of four members of Saudi Arabia’s minority sect were executed alongside 43 Sunni jihadists. | He was one of four members of Saudi Arabia’s minority sect were executed alongside 43 Sunni jihadists. |
| The protesters chanted “down with the Al Saud”, the name of the ruling Saudi royal family, as they marched from Nimr’s home village of al-Awamiya to the region’s main town of Qatif, the only district in Saudi Arabia where Shia’s are a majority. | The protesters chanted “down with the Al Saud”, the name of the ruling Saudi royal family, as they marched from Nimr’s home village of al-Awamiya to the region’s main town of Qatif, the only district in Saudi Arabia where Shia’s are a majority. |
| Similar protests broke out in Bahrain, where tear gas was fired at protesters. | Similar protests broke out in Bahrain, where tear gas was fired at protesters. |
| Updated at 1.34pm GMT | Updated at 1.34pm GMT |
| 12.15pm GMT12:15 | 12.15pm GMT12:15 |
| Recently reopened Saudi embassy in Iraq 'should be closed' in protest | Recently reopened Saudi embassy in Iraq 'should be closed' in protest |
| Iraqi leaders are calling for the closure of Riyadh’s newly reopened embassy in Baghdad. | Iraqi leaders are calling for the closure of Riyadh’s newly reopened embassy in Baghdad. |
| Khalaf Abdelsamad, who heads the parliamentary bloc of Iraq’s Shia Dawa party - to which both Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his predecessor Nuri al-Maliki belong - said Baghdad should take action. | Khalaf Abdelsamad, who heads the parliamentary bloc of Iraq’s Shia Dawa party - to which both Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his predecessor Nuri al-Maliki belong - said Baghdad should take action. |
| “Abdelsamad urges the Iraqi government to close down the Saudi embassy, expel the ambassador and execute all Saudi terrorists in Iraqi prisons,” a statement from his office said. | “Abdelsamad urges the Iraqi government to close down the Saudi embassy, expel the ambassador and execute all Saudi terrorists in Iraqi prisons,” a statement from his office said. |
| The Saudi embassy in Baghdad only just reopened on 15 December, a quarter of a century after relations were broken over Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The ambassador himself has only been in the country for three days. | The Saudi embassy in Baghdad only just reopened on 15 December, a quarter of a century after relations were broken over Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The ambassador himself has only been in the country for three days. |
| “The execution of Sheikh al-Nimr will have serious consequences and bring about the end of the Al-Saud (royal family’s) rule,” Abdelsamad’s office said. | “The execution of Sheikh al-Nimr will have serious consequences and bring about the end of the Al-Saud (royal family’s) rule,” Abdelsamad’s office said. |
| Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the most powerful Shia militias in the country, reacted with similar demands. Meanwhile, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, a top leader in the powerful Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) paramilitary group that is dominated by Tehran-backed militias, condemned Nimr’s execution. | Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the most powerful Shia militias in the country, reacted with similar demands. Meanwhile, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, a top leader in the powerful Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) paramilitary group that is dominated by Tehran-backed militias, condemned Nimr’s execution. |
| “Even as the rulers of Saudi Arabia are supporting terror in the entire world by sending takfiris, weapons and car bombs to Muslim countries, today they executed the most honest man in Saudi Arabia,” he said in a statement. | “Even as the rulers of Saudi Arabia are supporting terror in the entire world by sending takfiris, weapons and car bombs to Muslim countries, today they executed the most honest man in Saudi Arabia,” he said in a statement. |
| Takfir is a part of the ideology of some extremist Sunni groups - such as the Islamic State group that controls parts of Iraq and Syria - that considers other Muslims infidels. | Takfir is a part of the ideology of some extremist Sunni groups - such as the Islamic State group that controls parts of Iraq and Syria - that considers other Muslims infidels. |
| Mohandis has close ties with Tehran, which reacted by warning Saudi Arabia that it would pay a “high price”. | Mohandis has close ties with Tehran, which reacted by warning Saudi Arabia that it would pay a “high price”. |
| “The Saudi government supports terrorist movements and extremists, but confronts domestic critics with oppression and execution,” an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said. | “The Saudi government supports terrorist movements and extremists, but confronts domestic critics with oppression and execution,” an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said. |
| Updated at 12.16pm GMT | Updated at 12.16pm GMT |
| 12.06pm GMT12:06 | 12.06pm GMT12:06 |
| Two of the executed were teenagers when arrested, say Reprieve | Two of the executed were teenagers when arrested, say Reprieve |
| International rights group, Reprieve has condemned Saudi Arabia’s execution of 47 people, saying two were teenagers when they were detained. | International rights group, Reprieve has condemned Saudi Arabia’s execution of 47 people, saying two were teenagers when they were detained. |
| The group which works to abolish the death penalty, says the 47 people include four Shia dissidents. | The group which works to abolish the death penalty, says the 47 people include four Shia dissidents. |
| It says one of the dissidents, Ali al-Ribh, was 18 when he was arrested in 2012, and another, Mohammed al-Shuyokh, was 19. | It says one of the dissidents, Ali al-Ribh, was 18 when he was arrested in 2012, and another, Mohammed al-Shuyokh, was 19. |
| Both were convicted on charges related to anti-government protests in eastern Saudi Arabia, where the Shiite minority is centered. Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric and central figure in those protests, was also among those executed. | Both were convicted on charges related to anti-government protests in eastern Saudi Arabia, where the Shiite minority is centered. Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric and central figure in those protests, was also among those executed. |
| Reprieve said in a statement that the Saudi government “is continuing to target those who have called for domestic reform in the kingdom.” | Reprieve said in a statement that the Saudi government “is continuing to target those who have called for domestic reform in the kingdom.” |
| 11.57am GMT11:57 | 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”. | 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”. |
| The Interior Ministry statement began with Koranic verses justifying the use of execution and state television showed footage of the aftermath of al Qaeda attacks in the last decade. | The Interior Ministry statement began with Koranic verses justifying the use of execution and state television showed footage of the aftermath of al Qaeda attacks in the last decade. |
| Saudi grand mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Alal-Sheikh appeared on television soon after to describe the executions as just. | Saudi grand mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Alal-Sheikh appeared on television soon after to describe the executions as just. |
| Updated at 12.00pm GMT | Updated at 12.00pm GMT |
| 11.53am GMT11:53 | 11.53am GMT11:53 |
| Brother of Shia cleric executed in Saudi calls for calm | 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. | 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”. | “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.” | “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. | 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. | “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. | 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. | 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.” | 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 | 11.41am GMT11:41 |
| Saudi Arabia’s top cleric defends the execution of 47 people | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Updated at 11.42am GMT |
| 11.35am GMT11:35 | 11.35am GMT11:35 |
| Saudi-led coalition ends ceasefire in Yemen | 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. | 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 | 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. | “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 | Updated at 11.36am GMT |
| 11.30am GMT11:30 | 11.30am GMT11:30 |
| We’re getting more details of the executions now. | 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. | 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. | 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 | 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 | 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. | 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 | Updated at 11.47am GMT |