TEHRAN - Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has strongly condemned the Saudi execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, saying the entire world, including Muslim nations, should react to this “crime”.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks at the start of his teaching to clerics at the post-jurisprudence level on Sunday, according to the khamenei.ir website.

The world should show a sense of responsibility towards this crime and similar crimes committed by the Saudi regime in Yemen and Bahrain, the Leader noted.

The Leader said, “This innocent scholar did not invite the people to an armed struggle, nor did he endeavor to hatch a secret plot. The only thing that he did was to make criticisms in an outspoken manner and to counsel the people to do good and advise them against evil and this originated from his religious zeal.”

Ayatollah Khamenei described the martyrdom of Sheikh Nimr and shedding his blood without any cogent reasons as the political mistake of the Saudi government.

“Allah the Exalted will not forgive shedding the blood of an innocent person. Shedding the blood of this innocent person will cause serious troubles for the politicians and criminals of this regime in a very short period of time.”

He also criticized the silence of those who make claims about freedom, democracy and human rights and condemned such people’s support for the Saudi regime that sheds the blood of innocent people just because they raise their voices against certain issues.

He added, “The world of Islam and the whole world should have a sense of responsibility towards this matter.”

He stated that torturing the people of Bahrain and destroying their mosques and houses, and also bombarding the people of Yemen for more than 10 months are other examples of the crimes committed by the Saudi regime.

“Those who sincerely care about the fate of humanity, human rights and justice should pursue these events and they should not be indifferent about this situation,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted.

The Leader told his students, “Shahid Sheikh Nimr will undoubtedly receive the grace of God and the hands of divine vengeance will surely snatch – by their necks - those cruel individuals who took his life and this is a source of comfort for us.”


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The Leader calls the killing of Sheikh Nimr “without any cogent reasons the political mistake of the Saudi government”.

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“This innocent scholar did not invite the people to an armed struggle, nor did he endeavor to hatch a secret plot. The only thing that he did was to make criticisms in an outspoken manner and to counsel the people to do good and advise them against evil and this originated from his religious zeal.”