2016 Saudi Arabia mass execution

On January 2, 2016, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia carried out a mass execution of 47 imprisoned civilians convicted of terrorism in 12 provinces in the country.[1] Forty-three were beheaded and four were executed by firing squads. Among the 47 people killed was Shia Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.[2] This was the largest mass execution carried out in the kingdom since 1980.[3] Nimr al-Nimr was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court on 15 October 2014 for "seeking 'foreign meddling' in Saudi Arabia, 'disobeying' its rulers and taking up arms against the security forces".[4] His execution was condemned by religious and political figures and human rights groups. The Saudi government said the body would not be handed over to the family.[5] Al-Nimr was very critical of the Saudi Arabian government, and had called for free elections in Saudi Arabia.[6]

  1. ^ "Saudi Arabia Carries Out Largest Mass Execution Since 1980 – Eurasia Review". Eurasiareview.com. 2016-01-02. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  2. ^ Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Saudi Arabia executes top Shia cleric, BBC News (January 2, 2016).
  3. ^ "Mass Execution Is Part of Saudi Arabia's Long History of Horrors". Huffingtonpost.com. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  4. ^ "Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr 'sentenced to death'". BBC News. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  5. ^ "Saudi govt. secretly buries Sheikh Nimr's body". Mehr News Agency. 3 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Saudi execution of Shia cleric sparks outrage in Middle East". The Guardian. 2 January 2016.