Nimr al-Nimr

Early life, family and education

Al-Nimr began his religious studies in Al-Awamiyah, and then moved to Iran in 1980 to complete his education. He studied at the Al-Qaim seminary in Tehran, primarily under Ayatollah Ali-Akbar al-Modarresi, the younger brother of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad-Taqi al-Modarresi, as well as other senior scholars.

Religious career After the Al-Qaim seminary was closed down by the Iranian government, al-Nimr moved to Damascus, Syria. He initially followed Grand Ayatollah Muhammad al-Shirazi and later followed Grand Ayatollah al-Modarresi.

, al-Nimr was independent of the two main political groups in the Eastern Province Shia community: Islahiyyah (the Shirazis) and Hezbollah Al-Hejaz (Saudi Hezbollah).

Al-Nimr had been the leader of Friday prayers in Al-Awamiyah since 2008. He also condemned Syria's Bashar Assad, stating, "(Bahrain's ruling family) Al Khalifa are oppressors, and the Sunnis are innocent of them. They're not Sunnis, they're tyrants. The Assads in Syria are oppressors ... We do not defend oppressors and those oppressed shouldn't defend the oppressor."

In August 2008, al-Nimr stated that he viewed U.S. citizens as natural allies of Shia Muslims, as both share a mindset "based on justice and liberty." He told a diplomat that he believed in these "American ideals."

He believed that the Saudi state is "particularly reactionary" and that "agitation" is necessary to influence the state in general and the Saudi state in particular. According to John Kincannon, Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, al-Nimr made statements that were "perceived as supporting Iran." In August 2008, he stated that he believed Iran and other states outside of Saudi Arabia acted mainly out of self-interest rather than religious solidarity, and he distanced himself from Iran.

Popularity Al-Nimr was described by The Guardian as "[seeming] to have become the most popular Saudi Shia cleric among local youth" in October 2011. He was detained for several days in 2004.

2015 appeal and imminent execution In March 2015, the Saudi Arabian appellate court upheld the death sentence against al-Nimr.

On 25 October 2015, the Supreme Religious Court of Saudi Arabia rejected al-Nimr's appeal against his death sentence. During an interview with Reuters, al-Nimr's brother claimed that the decision resulted from a hearing that occurred without the presence or notification of al-Nimr's lawyers and family. He remained hopeful that King Salman would grant a pardon.

Reactions against death sentence

On 13 November 2014, Muslims gathered in a protest at the United Nations. In March 2015, a protest was held in Kano, Nigeria, according to the Tasnim News Agency.

On 13 May 2015, Shia marjas Ja'far Sobhani, Naser Makarem Shirazi, and Hossein Noori Hamedani condemned the death sentence.

Aware of the imminent execution of Sheikh Nimr in May 2015, Shia Muslims disagreed with the decision.

On 31 December 2015, a group of prominent Sunni clerics in Iran called on the United Nations and other international organizations in a letter to intensify efforts to free al-Nimr.

Petitions from NGOs In November 2015, two volunteers and 15 organizations from various religions and communities advocating for humanity and justice collectively requested that the U.S. Secretary of State stop the executions by approaching the King of Saudi Arabia.

The signatories of the petition included:

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) Amnesty International Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy Center for Inquiry (CFI) European Center for Democracy & Human Rights (ECDHR) European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) Freedom House Human Rights Foundation Human Rights Watch Hindu American Foundation (HAF) International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (MHRSA) Muslim Public Affairs Council PEN American Center Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) Shia Rights Watch (SRW) Dr. Toby Matthiesen, Senior Research Fellow in International Relations of the Middle East at the University of Oxford William C. Walsh, Lawyer

Execution and reaction against

In October 2014, Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court approved the death sentence of al-Nimr for disobeying the ruler, inciting sectarian strife, and encouraging, leading, and participating in demonstrations. According to sources, the main charge was criticism of Saudi officials. On 2 January 2016, Saudi Arabia's government executed 47 prisoners and declared that Nimr had been among them.

Protests were held in various countries, including Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, United Kingdom, Turkey, Australia, and United States following the execution. People in the Qatif region of Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province took to the streets, with protesters marching from al-Nimr's hometown of Al-Awamiyah to Qatif, chanting, "Down with the Al Saud". Many religious and political figures also expressed their opinions and reactions regarding the execution of Sheikh al-Nimr.

Personal life Nimr al-Nimr's nephew, Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr, participated in the 2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests.

Mohammed al-Nimr, the cleric's brother, blamed U.S. President Barack Obama for failing to use his influence with the Saudi government to prevent his brother's execution. He stated, "We asked very clearly for the American president to intervene as a friend of Saudi Arabia — and the Americans did not intervene."

In 2017, during the 2017–19 Qatif unrest, Saudi security forces killed two of his cousins.