Saudi to pay ‘high price’ for executing Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr: Iran

Read | Saudi Arabia executes 47 terrorists, including Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr

“The Saudi government supports terrorist movements and extremists, but confronts domestic critics with oppression and execution… the Saudi government will pay a high price for following these policies,” he said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

Nimr, 56, was a driving force of the protests that broke out in 2011 in Eastern Province, where the Shiite minority of Saudi Arabia complains of marginalisation.

Read | Brother of executed Shi’ite cleric hopes any reaction to killing will be peaceful 

“The execution of a figure like Sheikh al-Nimr, who had no means to follow his political and religious goals but through speaking out, merely shows the extent of irresponsibility and imprudence,” said Ansari.

Read | Iranian cleric predicts fall of Saudi government over Nimr execution

For its part, the Basij student militia connected to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards called for a demonstration on Sunday afternoon in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran.