Saudis defend trials as ‘fair and just’
EXECUTIONS: Rift with Iran widens after ransacking
TEHRAN — Saudi Arabia’s UN Mission insists the kingdom granted “fair and just trials” to 47 people — including opposition Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr — who were executed last weekend, responding to concerns raised by the UN chief over the fairness of the judicial proceedings.
The Saudi mission, in a statement sent Monday to The Associated Press, expressed “deep regret” at a statement from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman Saturday saying al-Nimr and a number of other prisoners executed were convicted after trials “that raised serious concerns over the nature of the charges and the fairness of the process.”
The Saudi statement assured the UN chief of “the independence and impartiality of the judiciary authority.” It said state-appointed lawyers were provided to some of the defendants and appeals in some of the cases took up to 10 years.
The statement said the final rulings against the 47 people executed were reached “based on their own criminal and illegal actions” without consideration of their intellectual, racial or sectarian background.
Allies of Saudi Arabia followed the kingdom’s lead Monday and scaled back diplomatic ties to Iran after the ransacking of Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic republic — violence sparked by the execution of al-Nimr.
Sudan and Bahrain said they would sever ties with Iran as Saudi Arabia did late Sunday. Within hours, the United Arab Emirates announced it would downgrade ties to Tehran to the level of the charge d’affaires, while other nations issued statements criticizing Iran.
The concerted campaign by Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia highlights the aggressive stance King Salman and his son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have adopted in confronting Iran, a longtime regional rival.
“What we have seen during the last 24 hours is unprecedented ... It shows you Saudi Arabia has had enough of Iran and wants to send a message,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a political-science professor at Emirates University. “This is the Saudis saying: ‘There is no limit to how far we will go.’ ”
The standoff began Saturday, when Saudi Arabia executed al-Nimr and 46 others convicted of terror charges — the largest mass execution carried out by the kingdom since 1980.