Ruhollah Zama, head of news portal Amad News, convicted of collaborating with foreign intelligence agencies
Ambassadors of France, Germany, Austria and Italy will not participate in Europe-Iran business forum scheduled for December 14 in connection with the execution of Amad News portal’s head Ruhollah Zama who was convicted of cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies. This was stated in a French Foreign Ministry statement circulated on Sunday on Twitter.
“Due to the barbaric and unacceptable execution of journalist Ruhollah Zam, France, along with Germany, Austria and Italy, cancels the participation of its ambassador in the Europe-Iran business forum scheduled for December 14,” the statement said.
On the morning of December 12, the death sentence was carried out in Iran against the head of the news portal Amad News. The foreign ministries of several countries, including Germany, France and Italy, condemned the act. The French side, for instance, called the execution “a serious attack on freedom of expression and press freedom in Iran”.
On 14 October 2019, IRNA news agency published information about Zam’s detention by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Iran’s elite army units). He was accused of anti-government activities and cooperation with the intelligence services of France, the US and Israel. Zam was known as a journalist and activist from abroad. His place of permanent residence was considered to be France. Zam was particularly active in covering protests in Iran in 2017-2018.