Off the wire
• All grand New Year gatherings safe: police  • Weather forecast for world cities -- Jan. 2  • Chinese Qing Dynasty artwork exhibition opens at National Library of Australia  • Interview: Lack of responses in European society pushes youth into IS' embrace: French expert  • Gerrard eyes role on Liverpool's coaching staff  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- Jan. 2  • Feature: Unaccompanied minor refugees in Greece take up family burden onto themselves  • China raises fog alert to orange  • Confucius, Mencius tourist attractions free to teachers  • New changes in UN Security Council may serve Palestinian cause: official  
You are here: 　 Home

Iran condemns execution of Shi'ite leader by Saudi Arabia

Xinhua, January 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned on Saturday the execution of prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia.

"While the Saudi government supports extremists and terrorist groups, it cracks down on and executes its dissidents," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said.

The Saudi government should await the repercussions of such acts, "as they will pay clearly for their policies," he said.

Saudi Interior Ministry announced on Saturday the execution of 47 people on terrorist charges, including the dissident Shi'ite leader.

Most of the executed were Saudis and involved in a series of attacks carried out by al-Qaida from 2003-06.

Nimr al-Nimr was also a driving force behind anti-government protests that broke out in 2011. Endit