Following the execution of prominent Saudi Shia cleric, Sheikh al-Nimr, Grand Iranian Shia clerics condemned Al Saud and send a strong message against the issue:
Grand Ayatollah Noori Hamedani: Al Saud insulted all Shia and Sunni Muslims in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and in other places by executing of Sheikh al-Nimr.
Grand Ayatollah Sobhani: Martyrdom of Sheikh Nimr, Saudi Shiite leader, has wounded the hearts with a feel of deep sorrow. Sheikh Nimr was just seeking a better life for Saudi Shiites who are living in deprivation.
Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi: The terrible news of Ayatollah Sheikh Nimr's execution stunned the Islamic world. If anyone ever doubted that the origin of excommunication is Saudi Arabia, then this incident should be the wake-up call.
Grand Ayatollah Safi: Al Saud must know that the blood of this martyr cleric, which is spilt unjustly, will wipe the sleep from their eyes, lead to Islamic world's awakening and pave the way for fall of this regime.
Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, commonly referred to as Sheikh Nimr was an independent Shia Sheikh in al-Awamiyah, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. He was popular among youth and critical of the Saudi Arabian government during the 2011–2012 Saudi Arabian protests.
Sheikh Nimr, a strong critic of the Riyadh regime, was shot by Saudi police and arrested in 2012 in the Qatif region of Shia-dominated Eastern Province, which was the scene of peaceful anti-regime demonstrations at the time.
He was charged with instigating unrest and undermining the kingdom’s security, making anti-government speeches and defending political prisoners. He had rejected all the charges as baseless.
In 2014, a Saudi court sentenced Sheikh Nimr to death, provoking widespread global condemnations. The sentence was upheld last March by the appeal court of Saudi Arabia.
Today the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and state television reported the execution of Sheikh Nimr.
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