Tehran: A top Iranian official warned on Thursday that a death sentence passed on a prominent Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia could escalate tensions and called for the decision to be reversed.
Nimr Al Nimr, a driving force behind demonstrations against the government, was convicted of sedition. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hussain Amir Abdollahian said the conviction, if confirmed, would likely sow discord.
“If the news that a Saudi court sentenced Shaikh Nimr to death is true, it will undoubtedly hurt Muslims’ feelings and provoke international reaction,” he was quoted as saying by Mehr news agency.
“Such measures do not contribute to the restoration of peace and calm in the region.
Al Nimr was also convicted of seeking “foreign meddling” in the country, a reference to Iran, and of “disobeying” the kingdom’s rulers and taking up arms against security forces, his brother Mohammad Al Nimr wrote on Twitter.
Abdollahian urged that the sentence on Al Nimr, who is in his 50s and had been on trial since March 2013, be overturned.
“It is expected that Saudi officials will take a realistic approach to prevent the carrying out of this sentence, and of an escalation of tensions in the Islamic world,” he told Mehr.
