United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Sunday said he was "deeply dismayed" by Saudi Arabia's execution of 47 people including Shiite cleric, Nimr al-Nimr on Friday. The execution triggered heavy criticism from Iran and Iraq's governments, with Saudi and Iran now in a battle of words over the issue. Iranian protestors also stormed the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran on Saturday and set fire to it, after the execution of a Shiite cleric who was an outspoken critic against the kingdom. Protestors also set fire to the Saudi consulate in Mashhad, Iran’s second largest city, AFP reported. Ban Ki-moon also condemned the violence and appealed for peace and calm.
Saudi Arabia on Friday executed 47 people for terrorist activities between 2003 and 2006, triggering widespread protests and criticism. The move was condemned by both Iran and Iraq, and clerics across the region, and is likely to escalate tension in the Middle East.
The executions come in the wake of increased attacks in the region by Islamic State militants, and is seen as a move to deter violence against the state, reports said. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said that the Saudi kingdom supported terrorists but executed critics within the country, and added that it would “pay a high price” for this.
Councils and clerics in Lebanon and Yemen also criticised the execution of the Shiite cleric, with activists calling for further protests in the region. The Guardian reported that Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a leading Iranian cleric, said the repercussions from the move would bring down the Saudi ruling family.
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