Saudi Arabia Court Confirms Shia Cleric Death Sentence

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The Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia has confirmed the death sentence against Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a leader of anti-government protests, one of his brothers said.

“After the confirmation of Sheikh Nimr’s death sentence by the Court of Appeal and then the Supreme Court, his life is in the hands of King Salman who can endorse the sentence or suspend the execution,” Mohammed al-Nimron said on Sunday.

He warned his brother’s execution “could provoke reactions that we do not want,” as Sheikh Nimr had “supporters in the Shia areas of the Islamic world”. Mohammed al-Nimr said he expected the king to “prove his wisdom” by halting the execution of his brother and six other Shia people.

Among those sentenced to death, “three, including my son Ali, were minors at the time of arrest” for involvement in anti-government protests that erupted in the Eastern Province in the wake of the Arab uprisings, he told AFP news agency.

Aljazeera.