A Saudi court has upheld a death sentence given to prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr who has called for more rights in the kingdom

A Saudi court has upheld a death sentence given to prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr who has called for more rights in the kingdom.

A Saudi court had recently sentenced Sheikh Nimr to death, two years after his arrest prompted deadly protests in the oil-producing east of the country. However, the enforcement of the ruling has been postponed.

His brother, Mohammed al-Nimr, reported Wednesday's sentencing on his Twitter account.
Former interior minister Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz previously accused Nimr of being "mentally unbalanced". The senior Shia cleric is accused of delivering anti-government speeches and defending political prisoners.

His capture, during which he was shot and wounded by police, prompted several days of protests in which three people were killed. Protests continued sporadically in Qatif, where more than 20 people have died, until 2013.

In January, the deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division for Human Right Watch, slammed Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on activists in the kingdom. He also questioned the election of Saudi Arabia as a member of the Human Rights Council in November last year, saying that Riyadh has a record of repression and its membership is not warranted.