Amnesty International urged Saudi Arabian authorities on Friday to investigate the death of a Shiite protester in the eastern part of the kingdom after he was shot by security forces, dpa reported.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that one person was killed late Thursday in clashes between security forces and members of the Shiite minority in the kingdom's eastern Qatif province.
"While security forces were patrolling al-Awamiya village ... they were attacked by petrol bombs," ministry spokesman Mansur al-Turki said in a statement.
The London-based rights group identified the protester killed as Issam Mohamed Ali Abu Abdullah, aged 22.
"This is the latest of several disturbing protester deaths in Saudi Arabia in the last couple of months," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's interim Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
"The need to immediately launch an independent investigation into the death of Issam Abu Abdullah is underlined by the fact that investigations that were announced into previous protester deaths in similar incidents do not appear to have gone anywhere," he added.
Amnesty International quoted sources as saying that riot police opened fire on the protesters, some of whom were also carrying firearms.
The incident came as British Prime Minister David Cameron was in Riyadh for talks with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and other officials to discuss trade and developments in the Middle East.
Oil-rich Qatif province has been a central point for protests by the Shiite minority against the Sunni ruling family. The government usually refers to them as "rioters."
Riyadh has repeatedly accused "foreign instigators," a reference to Tehran, of paying protesters to confront government security forces.
In November, four people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Qatif.
Saudi authorities recently published a list of 23 suspects wanted on charges of carrying out a "foreign agenda" in Shiite districts in the east.