Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of supporting terrorism after Nimr execution

شارك |

Jouhina news,

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman on Saturday accused Saudi Arabia of supporting terrorism and executing its opponents, after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent cleric.

“The Saudi government supports terrorists and takfiri extremists, while executing and suppressing critics inside the country,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Supreme Islamic Shi’ite Council condemned the execution of al-Nimr saying it was a “grave mistake”.

“The execution of Sheikh Nimr was an execution of reason, moderation and dialogue,” the council’s Vice President Sheikh Abdel Amir Qabalan said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 other people. Most of those executed were convicted of leading or carrying out a series of al Qaeda attacks in Saudi Arabia after 2003, but they also included some members of the Shi’ite minority convicted of attacks on police during protests from 2011-13.

Earlier Saturday, Saudi Arabia executed 47 people including cleric Nimr al-Nimr

In a statement issued on state television and other official media, the Interior Ministry named the 47 dead men and listed crimes that included both involvement in attacks and embracing jihadist ideology.

The executions are Saudi Arabia’s first in 2016. At least 157 people were put to death last year, a big increase from the 90 people killed in 2014.