UN chief calls on Iran, Saudi to avoid exacerbating tensions

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has asked Saudi Arabia and Iran to avoid actions that could further exacerbate tensions, as he expressed disappointment at the execution of cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr and said the break in Saudi diplomatic ties with Iran was deeply worrying.
Secretary-General Ban phoned Saudi Foreign Minister Abel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir andIranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to urge them to "avoid any actions that could further exacerbate the situation," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
In his call to the Saudi Foreign Minister yesterday, Ban reiterated his views on capital punishment, which he strongly opposes, and his disappointment at the execution of al-Nimr, whose case he raised with the Saudi authorities several times.

He also reiterated that the attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran was deplorable, but added that the announcement of a break in Saudi diplomatic ties with Iran was deeply worrying.
Regarding Yemen, he urged Saudi Arabia to renew its commitment to a ceasefire, according to a readout provided by his office of the two phone calls.
Speaking to the Iranian Foreign Minister, the UN chief recalled his earlier statement voicing dismay at Saturday's execution of al-Nimr and 46 other prisoners by Saudi Arabia, as well as his condemnation of the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, and he urged the minister to take the necessary measures to protect diplomatic facilities.

In a statement by his spokesman on Saturday, Ban had said al-Nimr and a number of the others executed "had been convicted following trials that raised serious concerns over the nature of the charges and the fairness of the process."
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein had stressed the strict requirements for carrying out the death sentence in those countries that still permitted it, including only for the most serious crimes, with a fair trial, full transparency, and the exclusion of confessions obtained under torture, when application of the death penalty is "unconscionable."
"Generally, I remain very concerned over whether strict due process guarantees, including the right to an effective defence, were met in all cases," he said, urging the Saudi government to impose a moratorium on all executions and to work with the UN and other partners on alternative strategies to combat terrorism.