Iranian Speaker: Sheikh Nimr’s Execution to Put Saudi Regime in A Tough Vortex

The news about the martyrdom of Sheikh Nimr, who was a dissident cleric and a free man, caused deep sorrow for the Islamic community, Larijani said in a speech in the southern port city of Bushehr on Saturday.

“Such behavior exacerbates the security problems in the (Middle East) region,” he said, adding that the execution will place Saudi Arabia in a vortex which would be difficult to escape from.

Earlier in the day, Iran’s Foreign Ministry had also strongly condemned the execution, saying the Riyadh regime will pay dearly for pursuing such irresponsible policies.

“While extremist and Takfiri terrorists undermine security and calm in regional countries and the world, and threaten the stability and sovereignty of some regional governments, the execution of a figure like Sheikh Nimr, who had no tool but his voice to pursue political and religious purposes, only reveals the extent of imprudence and irresponsibility,” Hossein Jaberi Ansari said on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia executed 47 prisoners on Saturday, including Sheikh Nimr, the Arab country’s interior ministry said in a statement.

The cleric’s name was among a list of the 47 carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. It cited the interior ministry for the information. Saudi state television also reported the executions.

Sheikh Nimr was detained in July 2012 on charges of delivering anti-regime speeches and defending political prisoners.

His arrest sparked widespread protests in the Arab country, leaving several people dead.