Hujjat al-Islam Jamshidi:

Saudis seek to cover up mistakes in Yemen through death sentence on Ayatollah Nimr

Rasa – The director of the Women’s Seminaries of Iran has stated that the Saudi government’s death sentence against outspoken Shi’ite cleric, Ayatollah al-Nimr are an attempt to deflect attention from their mistakes in Yemen.

News ID: 3508

Date: 27 October 2015 - 17:53

RNA – "Saudi Arabia has committed several serious errors in the short period since Prince Salman came to the throne. It is natural to attempt to make up for one’s mistakes and the imposition of death sentence on Ayatollah al-Nimr is of this sort,” Hujjat al-Islam Mohammad-Reza Jamshidi told Rasa News.

The director of the Women’s Seminaries of Iran, condemned the Saudi Interior Ministry’s approval of the implementation of the death sentence on the prominent anti-Saudi regime activist and Shi’ite cleric, Ayatollah Nimr Baqir al-Nimr.

His Eminence added that the Saudi government’s charges against Ayatollah are "not based on reality."

Ayatollah al-Nimr was detained in July 2012 on trumped up charges of apostasy and terrorism after leading anti-government protests in the country and has been reportedly tortured in detention. He was sentenced to death in October 2014.

Hujjat al-Islam Jamshidi said that the most important issues facing the region today include the Saudi war Yemen and the tragic stampede in Mina, saying that since last March, Saudi Arabia has been bombarding Yemen using unconventional and illegal weapons which have killed scores of innocent people, including women, children and the elderly.

He added that the deaths of nearly five thousand Hajj pilgrims in the Mina incident have no justification and this tragedy was only due to the incompetence of the Saudi authorities.

The member of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom also said it is natural that Saudi officials bring up new issues to deflect attention from its serious mistakes. That is why it has imposed the death sentence on Ayatollah al-Nimr and have intensified their attacks on Shi’ite mourners in parts of Saudi Arabia.

The Iranian scholar urged Saudi government to "immediately release Ayatollah al-Nimr", saying that all Muslims, both Sunni and Shi’ite, as well as freedom-loving people, both demand the release of this prominent anti-Saudi regime activist and Shi’ite cleric and added that there is no acceptable reason that would warrant the implementation of this completely illegal and unrighteous sentence.

Hujjat al-Islam Jamshidi stated that the Shi’ite religious authorities have all condemned the Saudi death sentence on Ayatollah al-Nimr and added that is necessary that all people throughout the world take a strong position in regard to this unjust act in order that the House of Saud reflects on their behaviour.

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