Saudi Arabia executes 47 men including top Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr on charges of terrorism
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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has executed 47 "terrorists", according to the interior ministry, including Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr and al-Qaeda-affiliated Faris al-Zahrani.
In a press statement read out on state TV on Saturday, the ministry listed the names of all those it said were already convicted on charges of terrorism.
The death sentence given to Nimr al-Nimr, who led anti-government protests in the country's east, was confirmed by the Supreme Court in October.
He was convicted of sedition, disobedience and bearing arms. Al-Nimr did not deny the political charges against him, but said he never carried weapons or called for violence.
Iran condemned his execution, saying that Riyadh was executing "opponents of terrorism".
Hossein Jaber Ansari, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, said Saudi Arabia will "pay a high price for following these policies".
Many of the other men executed had been linked to attacks in the kingdom between 2003 and 2006, blamed on al-Qaeda.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, the US and Iraq are the top five countries with the most executions. (Saudi Gazette)
