Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari 'strongly' condemned the execution of the senior Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia. Ansari claimed Saudi Arabia backs terrorists, but executes people who criticize the Saudi regime. The execution of al-Nimr who had no tool but preaching his ideas and religion proves Saudi officials were irresponsible, Ansari claimed, accusing the kingdom of backing "extremist and Takfiri terrorists who threaten the regional and global security and even the very existence of some regional governments". Ansari threatened the Saudi government would certainly pay dearly for following such policies that he alleged were "non-productive". Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a Shia Muslim cleric as well as other 47 defendants over terror-related crimes, a statement by the Saudi Interior Ministry carried on al-Arabiya satellite channel, read. Also, the majority of those executed were of Saudi nationality. The 47 men were from 12 regions in the kingdom, Saudi ministry added. Al-Nimr's family said they were shocked by what they described as the court's "totally political sentence". Saudi eastern region has witnessed protests calling for political overhauls, a constitutional monarchy and an end to what they called discrimination against the country's minority Shias. More than 20 people have died in violent clashes between security forces and Shia protesters in the Qatif region since 2011. Al-Nimr gained prominence in Saudi Arabia's Shia community for his vocal support to protests.
