00:56Iran: Ayatollahs condemn Saudi Arabia's execution of top Shia cleric
The execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia sparked outrage among Iran's top clerics, three of whom unanimously condemned the action while speaking out in the city of Qom on Saturday.
"Saudi Arabia has a superstitious religion. They support ISIS, Takfiri and Boko Haram," said Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani. Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi-Amoli noted that Sheikh Nimr had called for people to unite against the Al-Saud family, while Ayatollah Ja'far Sobhani stated the incident "has wounded Muslim hearts."
A vocal critic of the Saudi authorities, al-Nimr was among 47 people who were executed on Saturday after being convicted of terrorism charges. The sheikh has purportedly been involved in large-scale anti-government protests in Saudi's Eastern Province over an alleged marginalisation of the Shia majority in the region.
00:56no access persian media/ israel media/ bbc persian tv/ voa news network/ manoto tv
The execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia sparked outrage among Iran's top clerics, three of whom unanimously condemned the action while speaking out in the city of Qom on Saturday.
"Saudi Arabia has a superstitious religion. They support ISIS, Takfiri and Boko Haram," said Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani. Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi-Amoli noted that Sheikh Nimr had called for people to unite against the Al-Saud family, while Ayatollah Ja'far Sobhani stated the incident "has wounded Muslim hearts."
A vocal critic of the Saudi authorities, al-Nimr was among 47 people who were executed on Saturday after being convicted of terrorism charges. The sheikh has purportedly been involved in large-scale anti-government protests in Saudi's Eastern Province over an alleged marginalisation of the Shia majority in the region.