1. Ayatollah Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, commonly referred to as Sheikh Nimr, was a Saudi Shia sheikh from Al-Awamiyah in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province.
19 Facts About Nimr al-Nimr
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Nimr al-Nimr was popular among youth and critical of the Saudi Arabian government, advocating for free elections in Saudi Arabia.
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In 2006, al-Nimr was arrested by Saudi authorities, during which he claimed to have been beaten by the Mabahith, a Saudi secret police agency.
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Nimr al-Nimr's execution was condemned by Iran and Shiites throughout the Middle East, as well as by Western figures and Sunnis opposed to sectarianism.
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Nimr al-Nimr 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.
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Nimr al-Nimr initially followed Grand Ayatollah Muhammad al-Shirazi and later followed Grand Ayatollah al-Modarresi.
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Nimr al-Nimr advocated for Kurdish majority control of Iraqi Kurdistan.
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Nimr al-Nimr 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.
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Nimr al-Nimr maintained his popularity in 2012, with thousands of people participating in street demonstrations in Qatif in support of him following his arrest in July 2012.
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In January 2012, al-Nimr criticized a list of 23 alleged protesters published by the Ministry of Interior.
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On 8 July 2012, al-Nimr was shot in the leg by police and arrested.
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Amnesty viewed these as representing the right to free speech and maintained that al-Nimr did not incite violence in them.
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On 23 December 2013, al-Nimr's lawyer stated that al-Nimr was unable to respond to the charges because he did not have a pen and paper.
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Nimr al-Nimr remained hopeful that King Salman would grant a pardon.
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In March 2015, the people of Nigeria staged a protest in the city of Kano against the detention and death sentence of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, according to the Tasnim News Agency.
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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.
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On 2 January 2016, Saudi Arabia's government executed 47 prisoners and declared that Nimr al-Nimr had been among them.
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Nimr al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 at the age of 17 and sentenced to death in 2014, with expectations that King Salman would ratify the sentence, which was to be carried out by beheading and crucifixion.
19.
Muna Jabir al-Shariyavi, Nimr al-Nimr's wife, died in a hospital in New York City while he was imprisoned.