Two die during Saudi Arabia protest at Shia cleric arrest

Two men have been killed in Saudi Arabia during a protest against the arrest of a prominent Shia cleric.

Activists said Akbar al-Shakuri and Mohammed al-Filfil were shot by police while attending a demonstration in Qatif, a city in Eastern Province. The interior ministry said there had been no clashes with police, and that the incident was being investigated.

Earlier, officials had said the cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, was hurt in a car accident as security forces chased him. The interior ministry said Sheikh Nimr was an “instigator of sedition” and would be interrogated after receiving treatment for a leg injury.

Ten days ago, the cleric said in a speech that he was confident his arrest or killing would be a “motivation” for more widespread demonstrations demanding reforms, an end to sectarian discrimination and the release of political prisoners.

The oil-rich Eastern Province is home to a Shia majority that has long complained of marginalisation at the hands of the Sunni ruling family.