“Every nation that proclaims the rule of law at home must respect it abroad and every nation that insists on it abroad must enforce it at home.” - Kofi Annan
Demotix/Syed Shahriyar. All rights reserved.On 2 January 2016, Saudi Arabia executed 47 individuals accused of terrorism, in what Human Rights Watch (HRW) called a “shameful start to 2016.” Among the 47 men was a prominent Shi’a cleric who was convicted, according to both Amnesty International and HRW, for his non-violent opposition to the Saudi regime.
HRW had indicated in 2014 that “Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was convicted on a host of vague charges, based largely on his peaceful criticism of Saudi officials,” while Amnesty International described it as “a political and grossly unfair trial at the Specialised Criminal Court.” In addition, today MiddleEastEye reported that “prisoners arrested when they were children and others suffering from mental illness" were also among those executed.
