Nimr Baqir al-Nimr (Arabic:  النمر باقر ;Nimr Bāqr an-Nimr;[1] 1959 – 2 January 2016 نمر

also Romanized Bakir al-Nimr,[2] al-Nemr,[3] al-Namr,[4] al-Nimer, al-Nemer, al-Namer), commonly

referred to as Sheikh Nimr, was aShia Sheikh in al-Awamiyah in Saudi Arabia's Eastern

Province whose arrest and later execution created diplomatic tension between Shia

and Sunni governments.[5] He was popular among youth[1][6] and critical of theSaudi Arabian

government,[1] calling for free elections in Saudi Arabia.[7] He was arrested by Saudi authorities in

2006, at which time al-Nimr said he was beaten by the Mabahith.[1] In 2009, he criticised Saudi

authorities and suggested that if Saudi Shia rights were not respected, the Eastern Province

should secede.[8][5][9] Saudi authorities responded by arresting al-Nimr and 35 others.[8][4] During

the 2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests, al-Nimr called for protestors to resist police bullets using "the

roar of the word" rather than violence,[3][10] and predicted the collapse of the government if repression

continued.[11] The Guardian described al-Nimr as having "taken the lead in [the] uprising."[6]

On 8 July 2012 Saudi police shot al-Nimr in the leg and arrested him in what police described as an

"exchange of gunfire."[12][13] Saudi police fired into a crowd of thousands who protested al-Nimr's

arrest, killing two men, Akbar al-Shakhouri and Mohamed al-Felfel.[13][14][15] Al-Nimr started a hunger

strike and allegedly was tortured.[15][16][17] The Asharq Center for Human Rights expressed concern for

al-Nimr's health during his hunger strike on 21 August, calling for international support to allow

access by family, lawyer and human rights activists.[18]

On 15 October 2014 al-Nimr was sentenced to death by the Specialized Criminal Court for "seeking

'foreign meddling' in Saudi Arabia, 'disobeying' its rulers and taking up arms against the security

forces."[19] His brother, Mohammad al-Nimr, was arrested on the same day for tweeting information

about the death sentence.[19][20] Al-Nimr was executed on or shortly before 2 January 2016, along with

46 others.[21] His execution was condemned by Iran and Shiites throughout the Middle East, as well

as by Western figures and Sunnis opposed to sectarianism. The Saudi government said the body

would not be handed over to the family.[22]

Contents

  [hide] 

1Religious career 2Points of view 3Popularity 4Early arrests and activity

o 4.12004 and 2006 arrestso 4.22009 sermon and arrest order

5Protests, arrest and death sentenceo 5.12011–12 Saudi Arabian protestso 5.2July 2012 arrest and hunger strikeo 5.3Trialo 5.4October 2014 death sentenceo 5.52015 appeal and imminent execution

6Reactions against death sentenceo 6.1Petitions from NGOs

7Execution and reaction againsto 7.1Street protestso 7.2Reactions of religious and political figures

8Personal life 9See also 10References 11External links

Religious careerAl-Nimr had been a Shia Sheikh in al-Awamiyah since 2008 or earlier.[1] He studied for about ten

years in Tehran and also studied in Syria. He initially followed Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussaini

Shirazi and as of 2008, followed Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi.[1]

As of 2008, he was independent of the two main political groups in the Eastern Province Shia

community, Islahiyyah (the Shirazis) and Hezbollah Al-Hejaz (Saudi Hezbollah).[1]

Al-Nimr had been the Friday prayers leader in al-Awamiyah since 2009 or earlier.[8]

Points of viewAl-Nimr supported "something between" individual and council forms of guardianship of the Islamic

Jurists as a form of government.[1] He supported Kurdish majority control of Iraqi Kurdistan.[1] Al-Nimr

believed that Shia ayatollahs would not promote violence and "murder in the name of God". He

supported "the idea of elections".[1]

Al-Nimr criticized Bahrain's Sunni monarchy, which brutally suppressed massive pro-

democracy Shia-led demonstrations in Bahrain in 2011.[23]

In August 2008, he said that he saw US citizens as a natural ally of Shia as the thinking of both US

citizens and Shia is "based on justice and liberty".[1] He told a diplomat that he believed in these

“American ideals”.[24]

He believed that the Saudi state is "particularly reactionary" and that "agitation" is needed to

influence the state in general and the Saudi state in particular.[1] According to John Kincannon,

Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, Al-Nimr made statements "perceived as

supporting Iran".[1] In August 2008, he stated that he believed that Iran and other states outside of

Saudi Arabia act mainly out of self-interest, not out of religious solidarity.[1]

Al-Nimr stated that in the case of internal conflict in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Shia would have the

right to ask for international intervention in analogy to requests for foreign military intervention by

Kuwaitis and Saudis to the US in the 1990–91 Gulf War and people from Darfur during the War in

Darfur.[1]

Al-Nimr criticised Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who was crown prince of Saudi Arabia, following

Nayef's death in June 2012. He stated that "people must rejoice at [Nayef's] death" and that "he will

be eaten by worms and will suffer the torments of Hell in his grave".[25][26][27]

PopularityAl-Nimr was described by US diplomat Gfoeller as "gaining popularity locally" in 2008.[1] The

Guardian described him as "[seeming] to have become the most popular Saudi Shia cleric among

local youth" in October 2011.[6] He retained his popularity in 2012, with thousands of people

participated in Qatif street demonstrations in his support following his July 2012 arrest.[13]

Early arrests and activity2004 and 2006 arrests

The Saudi authorities reportedly detained him for the first time in 2003, for leading public prayers in

the village of Al-Awamiyah.[28] Al-Nimr was detained for several days in 2004.[15] He was arrested

by Mabahith in 2006 and beaten during his detention. Residents ofal-Awamiyah campaigned to

support him and he was released[1] after several days.[15]

2009 sermon and arrest order

In February 2009, an incident occurred in Medina involving differences in Shia and Sunni customs at

the tomb of Muhammad, filming of Shia women by the religious police, protests by Shia in Medina

and arrests. Six children were arrested during 4–8 March for taking part in a 27 February protest

in Safwa.[4]

Al-Nimr criticised the authorities' February actions in Medina and the Minister of Interior in particular

for discrimination against Saudi Arabian Shia.[2][4] In a sermon, he threatened secession,[5][9] stating

"Our dignity has been pawned away, and if it is not ... restored, we will call for secession. Our dignity

is more precious than the unity of this land."[8]

A warrant for his arrest was issued in response. Protests took place in al-Awamiyah starting 19

March. Four people were arrested, including al-Nimr's nephew, 'Ali Ahmad al-Faraj, aged 16, who

was arrested on 22 March.[4] The police started tracking al-Nimr in order to arrest him and tried to

take his children hostage.[2] By 1 April, a total of 35 people had been arrested and security forces

installed checkpoints on roads to al-Awamiyah, but al-Nimr was not arrested during this time.[8]

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said that the authorities were "persecuting Shia

reformist Nimr Bakir al-Nimr for his criticism of policies of sectarian discrimination against the Shia in

Saudi Arabia and for his call for reform and equality."[2]