UN / SAUDI ARABIA IRAN

During a telephone conversation with the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia, the UN Secretary-General expressed his disappointment at the execution of the Shiite cleric Sheikh al-Nimr in Riyadh and said the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran was “deplorable”, his spokesman told reporters today in New York. UNIFEED-UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:41
• Production Date: 4 January 2016
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: STEPHANE DUJARRIC; BAN KI-MOON
• Subject Topical: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT; DIPLOMACY
• Geographic Subject: IRAN; SAUDI ARABIA
• MAMS Id: 1542291
• Parent Id: 1542291
• Alternate Title: unifeed160104a

Description

STORY: UN / SAUDI ARABIA IRAN
TRT: 01:41
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 04 JANUARY 2016, UNITED NATIONS / RECENT, NEW YORK CITY, USA

Shotlist

RECENT, NEW YORK CITY, USA

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

04 JANUARY 2016, UNITED NATIONS

2. Various shots, press briefing in progress
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, United Nations Secretary-General Spokesperson:
“The Secretary-General reiterated his views on capital punishment and his disappointment at the execution of Sheik al-Nimr, whose case the Secretary-General had raised with Saudi authorities on several occasions. The Secretary-General also reiterated that the attack on the Saudi embassy in Teheran was deplorable, but added that the announcement of a break in Saudi diplomatic relations with Tehran was deeply worrying.”
4. Med shot, press briefing in progress
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, United Nations Secretary-General Spokesperson:
“The Secretary-General urge both foreign ministers to avoid any action that could further exacerbate the situation between the two countries and in the region as whole. He stress the importance of continues and constructive engagement by both countries in the interests of the region and beyond.”
6. Med shot, press briefing in progress
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, United Nations Secretary-General Spokesperson:
“The Secretary-General has spoken out repeatedly against the use of the death penalty, and he’s also brought up personally the case of Sheik al-Nimr in a number of meetings he’s had with very senior Saudi officials both here in New York and in Riyadh and I think that the statement can be read as a clear condemnation of the execution and I think he expresses his deep disappointment and dismay that it took place.”
8. Zoom out, closing of press briefing

Storyline

During a telephone conversation with the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia, the UN Secretary-General expressed his disappointment at the execution of the Shiite cleric Sheikh al-Nimr in Riyadh and said the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran was “deplorable”, his spokesman told reporters today (04 Jan) in New York.

Stephane Dujarric said the Secretary General “reiterated his views on capital punishment and his disappointment at the execution of Sheik al-Nimr, whose case the Secretary-General had raised with Saudi authorities on several occasions. The Secretary-General also reiterated that the attack on the Saudi embassy in Teheran was deplorable, but added that the announcement of a break in Saudi diplomatic relations with Tehran was deeply worrying.”

Dujarric also said the Secretary-General urged “both foreign ministers to avoid any action that could further exacerbate the situation between the two countries and in the region as whole. He stress the importance of continues and constructive engagement by both countries in the interests of the region and beyond.”

The spokesman said “the Secretary-General has spoken out repeatedly against the use of the death penalty, and he’s also brought up personally the case of Sheik al-Nimr in a number of meetings he’s had with very senior Saudi officials both here in New York and in Riyadh and I think that the statement can be read as a clear condemnation of the execution and I think he expresses his deep disappointment and dismay that it took place.”

Since 2007, the UN General Assembly has adopted a series of resolutions calling on States that retain the death penalty to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty altogether.