While Ali was held in a juvenile offenders’ facility, human rights organisations said that he was tortured into confessing and was also denied access to lawyers. His uncle is Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a well known religious leader and human rights activist, who, like his nephew, was sentenced to death in 2014.

Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was placed under arrest on February 14, 2012 in the wake of anti-Government protests in Saudi Arabia as part of the wave of Arab Spring demonstrations across the Middle East.

His sentence of “death by crucifixion” was originally handed down on May 27, 2014, and the fight to clear his name has continued, but according to Reprive, Al-Nimr’s family found out last week his final appeal had been heard in secret and dismissed.

Since there are no legal obstacles in the way anymore, supporters fear the prisoner could be executed in a matter of days.

Human rights organization Reprieve has urged the European Union to intervene with Saudi Arabia to prevent the killings.

Saudi Arabia has one of the highest execution rates in the world, and despite worldwide disapproval, the regime has carried out 79 executions so far this year.

A number of other young protesters, including Dawoud Hussain al-Marhoon, have been sentenced to death after taking part in anti-government protests.

“No one should have to go through the ordeal Ali has suffered – torture, forced ‘confession, ‘ and an unfair, secret trial process, resulting in a sentence of death by ‘crucifixion, ‘” Reprieve director Maya Foa told the worldwide Business Times. “Ali was a vulnerable child when he was arrested and this ordeal began”. Amnesty worldwide is asking concerned people to write in and request that Saudi authorities quash al-Nimr’s conviction, as well as his death sentence, and ensure that he receives a fair trial in line with global law and standards. Should the rate continue, Saudi will surpass its own record 192 executions held in 1995 and that of Iran and China, which are now the only two countries that carry out more death penalties.

In a statement on its website, Reprieve says the British government has had to backtrack on its claim that the bid to service Saudi prisons could not be cancelled because to do so would incur “financial penalties“.

In early September, Oxfam United Kingdom said the ongoing conflict in Yemen has been exacerbated by the United Kingdom government’s arms deals with Saudi Arabia, causing a bad humanitarian catastrophe and potentially placing the government in breach of worldwide law.