Riyadh: The Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia has confirmed the death sentence against Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a leader of anti-government protests, one of his brothers said on Sunday.
"After the confirmation of Sheikh Nimr's death sentence by the Court of Appeal and then the Supreme Court, his life is in the hands of King Salman who can endorse the sentence or suspend the execution," said Mohammed al-Nimr.
He warned his brother's execution "could provoke reactions that we do not want," as Sheikh Nimr had "supporters in the Shiite areas of the Islamic world".
Mohammed al-Nimr said he expected the king to "prove his wisdom" by halting the execution of his brother and six other Shiites.
Among those sentenced to death, "three, including my son Ali, were minors at the time of arrest" for involvement in anti-government protests that erupted in the Eastern Province in the wake of the Arab Spring, he told AFP.
