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Rights group criticises Saudi 'terrorism' execution

Asia

By AFP | Aug 20, 2024

**A Saudi executioner displays his sword.** [Courtesy]

A Berlin-based Saudi rights group on Monday criticised the recent execution of a Saudi national on terrorism charges, accusing authorities of falsifying claims that he belonged to the Al-Qaeda jihadist group.

Abdul-Majeed al-Nimr, a 59-year-old father of four from Shiite-majority Qatif in Eastern Province, was executed on Saturday after he was charged with joining a Qaeda-affiliated terrorist cell, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

The European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) accused Saudi authorities of "falsifying" the charges.

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"The charges facing al-Nimr relate to his joining a cell affiliated with the terrorist organisation al-Qaeda, despite his belonging to the Shiite sect," it said.

Al-Qaeda, led by Sunni jihadists, views Shiites as heretics and would not accept their membership in the organisation.

ESOHR said the execution was "retaliatory" in nature and aimed at silencing dissent.

It provides "new evidence of the lack of confidence in all stages of the justice system in Saudi Arabia," it said.

The execution sends a "clear message confirming Saudi Arabia's complete disregard for its obligations... and its continuation of killings that violate international laws," ESOHR said.

The kingdom's Eastern Province -- which includes Qatif –- has long been a flashpoint between minority Shiites and the Sunni-dominated government.

The area has seen bouts of unrest since 2011 when protesters emboldened by the Arab Spring uprisings took to the streets.

Demonstrators demanded an end to what they say is discrimination by the government, a charge Riyadh denies.

One of the leaders of the protest movement, prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, was executed in 2016 for "terrorism".

Nimr's execution exacerbated sectarian tension both across the Gulf and with Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran.

The Shiite community is estimated to make up between 10 and 15 per cent of the kingdom's population of 32.2 million, but the government has released no official statistics.

Saudi Arabia has executed more than 140 people this year, according to an AFP tally, putting it on track to exceed last year's 170 executions.