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September 24, 2015

U.S. "Welcomes" Saudi Arabia Heading U.N. Human Rights Council Panel 
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The U.S. State Department says it welcomes the announcement that Saudi
Arabia will head a U.N. Human Rights Council panel. The news comes amid
a growing international outcry over the scheduled beheading and
crucifixion of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, who was arrested at the age of 17
and convicted of encouraging pro-democracy protests in 2012 during the
Arab Spring. Al-Nimr is the nephew of a prominent cleric, Sheikh Nimr
Baqir al-Nimr, who has also received a death sentence following
pro-democracy protests. U.S. State Department spokesperson Mark Toner
was questioned about al-Nimr Tuesday.

Reporter: "Yesterday Saudi Arabia was named to head the Human Rights
Council, and today I think they announced that they are about to behead
a 21-year-old Shia activist named Mohammed al-Nimr. Are you aware of
that?"

Mark Toner: "I'm not aware of the — of the trial that you —
or the verdict, death sentence."

Reporter: "Well, apparently, he was arrested when was 17 years old and
kept in juvenile detention, then moved on. And now he's been scheduled
to be executed."

Mark Toner: "Right. I mean, we've — you know, we've talked about
our concerns about some of the capital punishment cases in Saudi Arabia
in our human rights report, but I don't have any more to add to it."

Mark Toner went on to say the United States would "welcome" Saudi
Arabia's position on the panel because "we're close allies." Saudi
Arabia has executed more than 100 people already this year, mostly by
beheading.

 

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