Saudi Arabia executes 47 terror convicts, including Shiite cleric

January 2, 2016

Riyadh, Jan 2: Saudi Arabia executed 47 prisoners convicted of terrorism charges today, including a Shiite cleric who was a central figure in 2011 Arab Spring-inspired protests in the kingdom.

terroristThe killing of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr may spark new unrest among Saudi Arabia's Shiite minority, largely concentrated in the kingdom's east, and in Bahrain, which has seen low-level violence since 2011 protests by its Shiite majority demanding greater rights from its Sunni monarchy.

The cleric's name was on a list of the 47 carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. It cited the Interior Ministry for the information. Saudi state television also reported the executions.

Of those executed, Saudi Arabia said 45 were Saudi citizens, one was from Chad and another was from Egypt.

Saudi Arabia said a royal court order was issued to implement the sentences after all appeals had been exhausted. The executions were carried out today in the capital, Riyadh, and 12 other cities and towns, it said.

Al-Nimr had been a vocal critic of Bahrain's Sunni-led monarchy, which harshly suppressed the 2011 Shiite-led protests. Saudi Arabia sent troops to help Bahrain quash the uprising, fearing it would spread.

Amnesty International has called the verdict against the cleric, who was in his mid-50s, part of a campaign by Saudi authorities to "crush all dissent."

Before his arrest in 2012, al-Nimr had said the people do not want rulers who kill and carry out injustices against protesters. He was asked at his trial if he disapproves of the Al Saud ruling family.

"If injustice stops against Shiites in the east, then (at that point) I can have a different opinion," the cleric responded, according to his brother Mohammed, who attended court sessions and spoke to The Associated Press before the verdict.

Al-Nimr did not deny the political charges against him, but said he never carried weapons or called for violence.

In announcing the verdicts, Saudi state television showed mugshots of all those executed. Al-Nimr was No. 46, expressionless with a gray beard, his head covered with the red-and-white scarf traditionally worn by Saudi men.

After listing the names and images of those executed, Saudi state television showed black-and-white footage of previous terror attacks in the kingdom, one showing bodies in a mosque after an attack. Soft, traditional music played in the background.

Saudi Arabia carried out at least 157 executions in 2015, with beheadings reaching their highest level in the kingdom in two decades, according to several advocacy groups that monitor the death penalty worldwide.

Coinciding with the rise in executions is the number of people executed for non-lethal offenses that judges have wide discretion to rule on, particularly drug-related crimes.

Comments

CID
 - 
Monday, 4 Jan 2016

Killing of Shaik Al-Nimr is the Biggest mistake by Saudi. This will change whole political scenario of the Gulf.

Arvind
 - 
Monday, 4 Jan 2016

Another demonstration of the religion of Peace as practised by the people who invented it. Looked like pretty soon the KSA will be engulfed in terrorism. And innocent bystanders will be needlessly killed.

hamees
 - 
Monday, 4 Jan 2016

this incident was happened in 2011 it took 5 years to take final decision . if it is in India it would take more than 10 years, and one thing you have to remember is terrorist doesnt have a religion...

Rumi ahmed
 - 
Saturday, 2 Jan 2016

We should be thankful that we are in India and have a democratic set up,unlike most of the middle east kingdoms where at the behest of the ruling family any body can be executed fearing rebellion.

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News Network
May 23,2020

Bengaluru, May 22: Police commissioner Bhaskar Rao on Friday said the next two Sundays will be ‘full curfew days’ and the city will be under complete lockdown between 7pm Saturday and 7am Monday.

Addressing the media, the top cop said all essential services will be excluded from the curfew. “People attending weddings and other ceremonies can travel. Those wanting to buy food products or medicines too can step out. However, like in lockdown 1.0, people found loitering unnecessarily will be punished,” he said.

According to Rao, city roads will be barricaded like how it was done during lockdown 1.0 and 2.0.

A senior police officer told TOI that during this period, vehicles could be seized under the Disaster Management Act-2005. “So, we request the public not to come out unnecessarily. If we find people roaming in vehicles, we shall seize the rides and owners will have to approach the court later to get them released,” he said.

The government has extended the lockdown till May 31, which includes two Sundays.
Earlier in the day, the state government allowed inter-state travel from Karnataka with the consent of the receiving state. Praveen Sood, Karnataka DG and IGP, said, “Inter-state pass is not required to go out of Karnataka as long as you have the consent of the receiving state. Due to the lockdown, migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons are stranded at different places. They would be allowed to move as usual.”

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News Network
January 30,2020

Jan 30: One positive case of novel coronavirus has been found in Kerala. The student was studying at Wuhan University in China. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored.

This is the first case of coronavirus that has been reported in India.

Until now, there have only been many suspected cases across the country. A total of eight patients, five of them in Mumbai, are under observation in Maharashtra for suspected coronavirus infection. Six patients were already under observation and two more people, who complained of cough and mild fever, symptoms similar to the coronavirus, were put under medical watch on Tuesday evening.

One suspected case each has been reported in Rajasthan and Chandigarh.

Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes. However, the virus that has so far killed 170 people and affected 7,000 in China is a novel strain and not seen before.

It has emerged from a seafood and animal market in Wuhan city and is suspected to have spread to as far as the United States.

According to the World Health Organisation, the common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

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News Network
June 27,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 27: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday emphasised on giving a new dimension to the city by strengthening the infrastructure and improving various other sectors including health and housing.

He was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 108-feet-tall bronze statue of Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bengaluru, at the Kempegowda International Airport near here. The statue would be built at a cost of Rs 66 crore in one-and-half years.

Yediyurappa said Bengaluru has earned the fame of Garden City and Silicon Valley of India. Noting that the state capital was one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and internationally acclaimed hub of information technology and biotechnology, he said, "We need to give a new dimension to this city and strengthen the infrastructure. We have to focus on health, housing, pollution control, traffic management. Our government has taken various measures to develop the city," the chief minister said.

On Kempe Gowda, Yediyurappa said though the city did not have a perennial river, he built hundreds of lakes and interconnected them. His water management reflects on his foresightedness, he added.

"Kempambudhi, Dharmambudhi, Sampaniram and Halasuru lake are among the major lakes gifted to the people of Bengaluru. He had set up the markets called Chickpet, Akkipet, Balepet, Kumbarpet, are still the major trade hubs," Yediyurappa said.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi, deputy chief ministers Govind Karjol, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Laxman Savadi and many other ministers were present on the occasion. The event was organised on the 511th birth anniversary of Kempe Gowda. Kempe Gowda was a chieftain of Vijayanagara dynasty who founded Bengaluru around 550 years ago.

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