Saudi Arabia executes dissident Shiite cleric, 46 others - CNN.com

Saudi Arabia excited a Shiite Cleric who openly spoke out against the regime. He was sentenced to death in October 2014 and charged with crimes including disobeying the ruler, inciting sectarian strife and bearing arms against security forces.

The reason behind his execution could be strategic, in that it will likely insight the Shiite population, and cause more polarization, creating more instability in the region and deepen conflicts between the Sunni and Shiite, in the region.