Nimr al-Nimr

Nimr Baqir al-Nimr
نمر باقر النمر
Born(1959-06-21)21 June 1959
Al-Awamiyah, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
Died2 January 2016(2016-01-02) (aged 56)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Cause of deathExecution by beheading[1]
NationalitySaudi Arabian
Criminal statusExecuted
Conviction(s)Terrorism
Treason
Sedition
Criminal chargeFiring at security forces
Seeking 'foreign meddling
Disobeying the ruler
Inciting sectarian strife
Encouraging, leading and participating in demonstrations
PenaltyDeath
TitleSheikh
Ayatollah
Personal
ReligionShia Islam[citation needed]
DenominationUsuli
Twelver Shia
SchoolJa'fari jurisprudence
EducationIran, Syria[citation needed]
Senior posting
PredecessorPost created
SuccessorUnknown
PostFriday Prayers leader, al-Awamiyah[2]
Websitesknemer.com

Ayatollah Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr[a] (21 June 1959 – 2 January 2016), commonly referred to as Sheikh Nimr, was a Shia sheikh from Al-Awamiyah in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. His arrest and execution were widely condemned by various governments and human rights organizations.[6]

He was popular among youth[7] and critical of the Saudi Arabian government, advocating for free elections in Saudi Arabia.[8] In 2006, al-Nimr was arrested by Saudi authorities, during which he claimed to have been beaten by the Mabahith, a Saudi secret police agency.[citation needed] In 2009, he criticized Saudi authorities and suggested that if the rights of Saudi Shia were not respected, the Eastern Province should secede.[2][6][9] In response, Saudi authorities arrested al-Nimr along with 35 others.[2][5] During the 2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests, al-Nimr urged protestors to resist police bullets with "the roar of the word" rather than violence.[4][10] The Guardian described al-Nimr as having "taken the lead in [the] uprising."[7]

On 8 July 2012, Saudi police shot al-Nimr in the leg and arrested him in what police described as an "exchange of gunfire."[11][12] During the protests against al-Nimr's arrest, police fired into a crowd of thousands, killing two men, Akbar al-Shakhouri and Mohamed al-Felfel.[12][13][14] Following his arrest, al-Nimr began a hunger strike and was allegedly tortured.[14][15] The Asharq Center for Human Rights expressed concern for his health during the hunger strike on 21 August, calling for international support to allow access for family, lawyers, and human rights activists.[16]

On 15 October 2014, al-Nimr was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court for "seeking foreign meddling in Saudi Arabia, disobeying its rulers, and taking up arms against the security forces."[17] On the same day, his brother, Mohammad al-Nimr, was arrested for tweeting information about the death sentence.[17][18] Al-Nimr was executed on or shortly before 2 January 2016, along with 46 others.[19] His execution was condemned by Iran and Shiites throughout the Middle East, as well as by Western figures and Sunnis opposed to sectarianism. The Saudi government announced that his body would not be handed over to the family.[20] In March 2017, after a prolonged campaign of harassment, Saudi security forces killed two cousins of the Nimr family during a raid on a farm in eastern Saudi Arabia. Miqdad and Mohammad al-Nimr were killed at a farm in Awamiyah, the Nimr family hometown.[21]

  1. ^ "روحاني: لا يمكن الرد على الانتقادات بقطع الرؤوس". France 24. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference AP_Nimr_in_hiding was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ANHRI_Nimr_tracked was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Rasid_Nimr_nonviolence was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference AI_Nimr_arrest_order was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ThReut_Nimr_seek_state was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Guardian_Oct11biggestdemos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Saudi execution of Shia cleric sparks outrage in Middle East". The Guardian. 2 January 2016. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference AlAhramW_secession was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference AlAhramW_words_not_bullets was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference SGazette_alNimrwounded was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ThReut_alNimrwounded was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference awamia_muna_jabir_funeral was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference AJE_alNimrwounded was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference alManar_alNimr_tortured was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference alSharq_alNimr21Aug2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BBC20141015_alNimr_deathsentence was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference AI_alNimr_deathsentence was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference AJE_Nimr_executed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ "Saudi govt. secretly buries Sheikh Nimr's body". Mehr News Agency. 3 January 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  21. ^ "Saudi forces kill two relatives of slain Shia Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr". Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.


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