DEATH SENTENCE ON SHEIKH NIMR AL-NIMR

That this House is deeply concerned about the death sentence by beheading and crucifixion passed by the Saudi authorities on Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr which is due to be carried out in the next few days; notes that Sheikh al-Nimr was detained in 2012 after backing mass pro-democracy protests in the Qatif district of eastern Saudi Arabia and was shot in the leg four times by police on arrest; joins with Amnesty International and other human rights organisations in believing that he was not given a fair trial; and calls on the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to use whatever pressure he can to prevail on the Saudi government to stop this barbarous killing and release al-Nimr who has already been held for two years.