SULAIMANI (ESTA) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday the United States strongly condemned Iran’s ‘unjust, barbaric” execution of Iranian dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017.
Iran said last week that its Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence against Zam, who was captured in 2019 in circumstances that have not been officially disclosed.
Zam had been based in Paris before he was captured in Iraq and taken to Iran.
Zam was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017. His Amadnews feed had more than 1 million followers.
France on Saturday called Zam’s execution “barbaric and unacceptable”, and said it ran counter to Iran’s international obligations.
The EU also strongly condemned Zam’s execution, as did Amnesty International and press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani defended Saturday’s execution of Zam, saying the death sentence was carried out lawfully.
European countries “have the right to comment, but Zam was executed upon a court’s ruling,” Rouhani told a televised news conference, noting that the judiciary was independent. “I think it’s unlikely that this will hurt Iran-Europe relations.”
(Esta Media Network/Reuters)
