Story highlights Hillary Clinton said Saudi Arabia's recent execution of 47 people raises "serious questions" that the U.S. needs to ask the country's government

The executions set off a series of condemnations from Shia Muslims

Derry, New Hampshire (CNN) Hillary Clinton said Sunday Saudi Arabia's recent execution of 47 people, including Shia Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr raises "serious questions" that the U.S. needs to ask the country's government.

"Clearly this raises serious questions that we have to raise directly with the Saudi government," Clinton said in response to a Derry town hall question about how she would handle the situation as president.

"We have governments we work with on a number of issues whose policies and values are antithetical to ours, to be just blunt about it. And yet who also have certain interests with us that we are involved in," she said.

Clinton said she joined other leaders in "statements of concern" about the executions, specifically calling out the Obama administration, European governments and human rights groups.

"I think that even our friends who we work with on so many areas should not be immune from our criticism and our questions about rule of law about their treatment of minorities," Clinton added.

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