![]() Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr | |
Date | 2 January 2016 |
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Venue | Riyadh, ![]() |
Nimr Baqir al-Nimr was a Shia cleric and critic of the government in Saudi Arabia, who was beheaded on 2 January 2016, [1] one of 47 people executed that day for terrorism offenses. [2] Others executed included Sunnis who had been convicted of involvement in terror attacks linked to al-Qaeda which took place in 2003. [2] News of the killings triggered international demonstrations, and condemnation by nations, supranational organizations, and human rights groups.
In October 2014, Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court approved a death sentence for Nimr for disobeying the ruler, inciting sectarian strife, and encouraging, leading and participating in demonstrations. [3] According to sources, the main charge was his criticism of Saudi's officials. [4] [5] [6] On 2 January 2016, the Saudi Arabia government executed 47 prisoners and declared that Nimr had been among them. [5] [7]
Protests were held after Nimr's execution in many cities of the world such as London, Tehran, Chicago, Toronto, [8] Iranian holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, Iraq,[ citation needed ] Lebanon, Afghanistan,[ citation needed ] Pakistan, India's Jammu and Kashmir state, Turkey, and in front of the Saudi Embassy in Athens, Greece [9] Washington, United States, [10] and Canberra, Australia. [11]
People in the Qatif region of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province took to the streets with protesters marching from Nimr's hometown of al-Awamiyah to Qatif, chanting: "Down with the Al Saud".[ citation needed ]
On 2 January, the day of the execution, protesters gathered outside Tehran's Saudi embassy, shouting "death to Al Saud". The embassy was on fire after a Molotov cocktail had been thrown at it. The protests continued beyond 3 am. The embassy was empty during the protests. [12] [13] Police donned riot gear and arrested 40 people during the incident. [13] [14] [15] [16] The Iranian Foreign Ministry has appealed for calm and to respect diplomatic premises. [17] The day after, protests were held again by hundreds of Iranians in Tehran,[ citation needed ] and President Rouhani called the damage on the embassy "by no means justifiable". [12] Elsewhere, there were protests in the Iranian holy city of Qom.[ citation needed ]
Hundreds of people held a protest rally in the Bahraini capital, Manama.[ citation needed ] Demonstrators carrying pictures of Sheikh Nimr were involved in a clash with police in the Bahraini village of Abu-Saiba. [18] Hundreds also marched in al-Daih and Sitra, chanting slogans against Saudi Arabia's ruling Al Saud family and the Sunni family ruling Bahrain, and calling Nimr "our martyr". [19]
In Iraq, protestors broke into the Saudi embassy, which has not been officially opened yet. [20] Footage of a rocket attack on the Saudi embassy in Baghdad also was released by the media.[ citation needed ]
In the Indian city of Srinagar, the capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, people protested using anti-Saudi banners. The protesters were marching towards the UN office at Sonawar, only to be intercepted by the police. Similar protests were held in the Kargil district, where religious organisations called for three days of mourning. [21]
On 5 January 2016 a Candlelight vigil was held in Ladakh by Buddhist, Christian and Muslim (Shia & Sunni) communities of Leh and Kargil to demonstrate their solidarity with human rights and voice against Nimr's execution, a local kashmir journalist Raqib Hameed Naik reported. [22]
Boustan Street in Tehran was renamed Nimr Baqir al-Nimr Street soon after the execution. [ citation needed ]
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