Saudi Arabia Executes 47 Convicted of Terror Offenses
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(RIYADH, Saudi Arabia) — A top Shiite cleric was among 47 people executed after being convicted of terrorism offenses in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, BBC News reports, was a vocal supporter of anti-government protests that erupted in the Eastern Province in 2011. His execution was confirmed by the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry.
BBC New says Shiite-led Iran vowed that Saudi Arabia would pay a “high price” for the execution of Nimr.
Protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran Saturday, throwing Molotov cocktails into the building and later entering the building to damage property.
The 47 executions were carried out simultaneously at 12 Saudi locations, BBC News adds. Those put to death include Sunnis linked to 2003 terror attacks linked to al-Qaeda.
The U.S. State Department acknowledged the executions in a statement from spokesperson John Kirby. The statement notes previously expressed concerns over the Saudi legal process and reaffirms “our calls on the Government of Saudi Arabia to respect and protect human rights, and to ensure fair and transparent judicial proceedings in all cases.”
Kirby’s statement also calls on Saudi Arabia to “permit peaceful expression of dissent and to work together with all community leaders to defuse tensions in the wake of thee executions.”
“We are particularly concerned,” Kirby adds, “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.”
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