Saudi authorities execute Shia detainee based on alleged charges of having links with Al-Qaeda
On Saturday, August 17, 2024, Saudi authorities executed detainee Abdul Majeed Al-Nimr, a resident of Al-Awamiyah in Qatif, making him the 10th political detainee from Qatif to be executed since the beginning of 2024.
In an official statement, the Saudi Ministry of Interior claimed that the execution was due to “Abdul Majeed Al-Nimr’s affiliation with a cell belonging to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda.”
However, these claims contradict the facts, as a report by the European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights indicates that Abdul Majeed was a Shia Muslim from Al-Awamiyah, raising questions about the credibility of the accusations.
The organization explained in a post on the “X” platform, which was monitored by Shia Waves Agency, that Abdul Majeed Al-Nimr was known for his good character and that his arrest may have been the result of an informant’s tip or a complaint related to a mosque.
The organization also noted that the Saudi Ministry of Interior did not clearly disclose the type of ruling, which strengthens the likelihood that the execution may have been carried out as a discretionary punishment known as ‘Ta’zir’.
The organization emphasized that the Ministry of Interior’s statement does not align with the reality of Abdul Majeed Al-Nimr being from Al-Awamiyah and a Shia Muslim, casting further doubt on the validity of the charges, which appear to be arbitrarily applied to detainees.
It is noteworthy that Abdul Majeed Al-Nimr was arrested on April 18, 2018. He is the cousin of Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr, who was executed by Saudi authorities in January 2016.
