Iraqi Shia officials condemn al-Nimr execution

The policy of silencing and liquidating opponents will only bring more destruction and devastation to the governments and peoples.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi stated that he was severely shocked after hearing the news of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr’s execution by the Saudi government. In addition, al-Abadi believes that silencing people by force only brings destruction to the government and its people.

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia executed 47 people, including the prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Most of the executed persons were convicted for leading or carrying a series of terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia post-2003. 

Among the dead people, there were also some members of the Shia minority, convicted of attacks on police protests from 2011-2013.

The execution of al-Nimr resulted in a strong reaction by the Iraqi Shia officials.

Following al-Nimr's execution, al-Abadi released a statement stating that, "We received, with deep regret and severe shock, the news of the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi authorities."

Al-Abadi explained that people have the right to express their opinions peacefully; persecuting them is a violation of the international laws.

"The peaceful expression of opinion and opposition are fundamental human rights guaranteed by divine laws and international laws and violating those leads to repercussions on the security and stability and social fabric of peoples in the region," the statement read.

Al-Abadi also mentioned that silencing people forcefully might work for a short term, but it is just a matter of time before such attempts will fail in the long-term.

"The policy of silencing and liquidating opponents will only bring more destruction and devastation to the governments and peoples, and reality and history have shown that injustice and the use of means of repression will not last, no matter how long," he added.

Furthermore, on Saturday, Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq's former Prime Minister and a prominent Shia politician, pointed out that the execution of al-Nimr "will mark the end of Saudi Arabia's government."

According to Reuters, Maliki had stated, "We strongly condemn these detestable sectarian practices and affirm that the crime of executing Sheikh al-Nimr will topple the Saudi regime as the crime of executing the martyr (Mohammed Baqir) al-Sadr did to Saddam (Hussein)," said Maliki, referring to another prominent Shia cleric killed in 1980.

The execution of al-Nimr has led to a strict condemnation by Shia majority countries like Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The reaction of Shia countries is expected to rise against Saudi Arabia.