Aimen Dean, a Saudi analyst who now runs a political consultancy based in Dubai, says Nimr was never a “top-tier” Shia cleric.
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Death toll in Indian base attack rises to 7 troops, 4 gunmen
It is unclear who attacked the air base, but there is suspicion that Kashmiri militants, based in Pakistan, might be involved. IAF helicopters were also seen flying over the base and nearby areas to assist ground forces in the operations.
Demonstrators carrying pictures of the Shi’ite cleric were involved in a clash with police in the Bahraini village of Abu-Saiba, where dozens were tear-gassed, according to witnesses. The demonstrators numbered into the hundreds and chanted that Nimr al-Nimr is “our martyr”.
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We are training but scoring goals is a quality. “In the second half we created fewer chances but we scored”. Despite this, Van Gaal is unsure if keeping Hernandez would have solved his side’s goalscoring crisis.
Al-Nimr was a central figure in Arab Spring-inspired protests by Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority until his arrest in 2012.
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Furthermore, other countries might follow in India’s footsteps and decide to review the service in their respective territories. He already launched the service in partnership with 35 mobile operators in more than 30 countries around the world.
“There is huge popular pressure on the government to punish those people”, said Mustafa Alani, a security analyst close to the Saudi Interior Ministry.
The Saudi interior ministry announced the executions on Saturday, listing the names of the 47 killed, all of whom had been convicted on charges of terrorism. Several analysts believe it will deepen an already unsafe divide between Sunni and Shia across the region.
NPR’s Peter Kenyon reports that Iran’s supreme leader promised divine retribution while Iran’s president condemned both the execution and the subsequent storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Saturday. The 400 protesters apparently disregarded that, shouting: “Death to Al-Saud!” Instead of saying “Boustan” or “park” in Farsi, it now reads “Sheikh Nimr St.” in honour of the Shia cleric.
Iranian President Hassan Rohani on January 3 condemned Nimr’s execution but also denounced attacks on the Saudi Embassy and Consulate as “totally unjustifiable”.
Saudi Arabia announced the execution of Sheikh al-Nimr on Saturday, sparking a wave of protests and the storming of the country’s embassy in Shiite powerhouse Iran.
Security forces in other Shia-populated areas are also said to be on high alert, while many police stations and security posts have been closed following al-Nimr’s execution in case of repercussions from Saudi Arabia’s Shia community.
But his execution has provoked a regional crisis, sparking condemnation from Iraq, Iran and even senior United Nations officials; violence against Saudi diplomatic premises in Iran; and a sudden rupture in relations between the Kingdom and the Islamic Republic.
Also Sunday, the BBC reported that one of the 47 executed in Saudi Arabia, Adel al-Dhubaiti, was convicted over a 2004 attack on its journalists in Riyadh.
Dion says Canada is urging authorities and leaders in Saudi Arabia and Iran to work to defuse tensions and promote reconciliation.
Iraq’s top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani described the executions as an “unjust aggression”.
Prominent Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for demonstrations in Persian Gulf countries and in Iraq to protest the execution of Nimr by Saudi Arabia. The sentiment was echoed nearly verbatim by European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and an official at the German Foreign Ministry.
In Lahore around 1,500 took to the streets calling Nimr’s execution a gross human rights violation, while in Karachi about a thousand men, women and children shouted slogans against the royal Saudi family. Riyadh denies torture and says its judiciary is independent.
Amir-Abdollahian said, as cited by Iran’s Press TV broadcaster late Sunday, that Riyadh “cannot cover” up its “big mistake” of executing Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr by cutting ties with Tehran.
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Saudi Arabia is also concerned about Iran’s growing influence after last year’s nuclear accord with world powers. “It included all the leaders of al Qaeda, all the ones responsible for shedding blood”.
