"The kingdom of Saudi Arabia reiterates that all convicted persons were granted fair and just trials without any consideration to their intellectual, racial or sectarian affiliation and that the final rulings against them was reached based on their own criminal and illegal actions," said a statement from the Saudi mission quoted by AFP.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said on Saturday he was "deeply dismayed" by the execution of a prominent Shiite Muslim cleric and 46 other people in Saudi Arabia and called for calm and restraint.