'Al-Nimr eschewed all violence '

World January 2, 2016 13:00

- The 57-year-old Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, who sat in Saudi Arabia was executed, was among his followers known as a man who only wanted to protest peacefully and shun all violence.

         Nimr supported the massive anti-government demonstrations in 2011 were held in a part of the country where Shiites have long been complaining that they are subordinated to the Sunnis.
He was seen as the most outspoken Shiite leader in the east of Saudi Arabia, who was willing to go against the authorities. He was known for his sermons in which he criticized the Sunni rulers in Saudi Arabia. He also criticized Iran for the support Tehran conferred on the Syrian regime in its fight against the rebels in Syria.
Nimr was arrested in 2012, after which days of unrest began. Two years later he was sentenced to death, according to his brother because,, calls foreign interference '' in the country, disobedience to the rulers and armed struggle against the security forces.
During his imprisonment Nimr went on hunger strike. Human rights groups say he was tortured as possible.