Saudi Arabia Clamps Down On Dissent
Haytham Mouzahem asks whether recent Saudi actions are tied to efforts to quell sectarian dissent and contain any spillover from either the Shiite-based uprising in Bahrain or the Syrian crisis.
Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr, a Saudi senior Shiite cleric, appeared in court this week in Saudi Arabia, while the Shiite community in the kingdom and human rights associations raised concerns about the fairness of his trial.
A month ago, a Saudi prosecutor demanded the death penalty — by crucifixion — for the prominent cleric, who was accused of inciting sectarian strife and terrorist offenses and “insulting the leaders of the Gulf states and (Wahhabi) clerics.”
