Iran executes French-based dissident journalist captured last year

 

Ruhollah Zam, a dissident journalist who was captured in what Tehran calls an intelligence operation, speaks during his trial in Tehran, Iran June 2, 2020. Picture taken June 2, 2020. Mizan News Agency/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

 

(Reuters) - Iranian dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017, was executed on Saturday, Iran's state television reported.

 

Iran said on Tuesday its Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence of Zam, who was captured in 2019 after years in exile. His Amadnews feed had more than one million followers.

 

State TV said on Saturday Zam, "director of the counter-revolutionary Amadnews network, was hanged this morning".

France and human rights groups had condemned the Supreme Court's decision.

 

On Saturday, press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the execution.

 

"RSF is outraged at this new crime of Iranian justice and sees (Supreme Leader Ayatollah) @ali_khamenei as the mastermind of this execution," the group tweeted.

 

The son of a pro-reform Shi'ite cleric, Zam fled Iran and was given asylum in France.

 

In October 2019, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had trapped Zam in a "complex operation using intelligence deception." It did not say where the operation took place.

 

Nour News, a news agency close to the Revolutionary Guards, said last week that Zam was detained by Guards agents after he travelled to Iraq in September 2019 and brought to Iran.

 

Iranian officials have accused the United States as well as Tehran's regional rival Saudi Arabia and government opponents living in exile of stoking the unrest, which began in late 2017 as regional protests over economic hardship spread nationwide.

 

Officials said 21 people were killed during the unrest and thousands were arrested. The unrest was among the worst Iran has seen in decades, and was followed by even deadlier protests last year against fuel price rises.

 

Zam's Amadnews feed was suspended by messaging service Telegram in 2018 for allegedly inciting violence but later reappeared under another name.

 

([email protected]; Editing by Sam Holmes and Mark Potter)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-12

 

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From a crane most likely,

regards worgeordie

31 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

From a crane most likely,

regards worgeordie

What an obscene and insensitive comment to make about the execution of a person!

May your head hang in shame (no pun intended!)

 

 

Edited December 12, 20205 yr by fangless

7 minutes ago, fangless said:

What an obscene and insensitive comment to make about the execution of a person!

May your head hang in shame (no pun intended!)

 

 

The Crane reference comes direct from Wiki, relating to Iran methods of public executions... 

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Nour News, a news agency close to the Revolutionary Guards, said last week that Zam was detained by Guards agents after he travelled to Iraq in September 2019 and brought to Iran.

ie he was extrajudicially renditioned in violation of Iraqi sovereignty, which

a) was apparently a bad thing when Soleimani was killed.

b) didn't occur when Khashoggi* was killed in the Saudi consulate in Instanbul (because of extraterritoriality).

 

Doesn't seem to be anywhere near as much outrage about this...

 

*who was also fomenting an uprising in his home country, but you had to really search to find that detail.

Cruel in the extreme. One hopes the West can formulate some strong punishment against the leaders who supported the illegal extradition and execution, not punishing the people of Iran who clearly are viciously oppressed. 

Edited December 12, 20205 yr by simple1

10 hours ago, fangless said:

What an obscene and insensitive comment to make about the execution of a person!

May your head hang in shame (no pun intended!)

 

 

If you knew anything about what goes on in Iran,you would not see what I said

as obscene,but the truth,before making a comment like that,learn a few facts.

Regards Worgeordie

Personally I find any use of capital punishment obscene and there should be no place for it in the civilised world.  Iran's government is about as uncivilised as it gets.

Shame on this bunch of criminals running Iran!

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Personally I find any use of capital punishment obscene and there should be no place for it in the civilised world.  Iran's government is about as uncivilised as it gets.

Then so is the USA

Just taking lead from the US using extraordinary rendition. Rumsfeld Cheney and Bush would be proud.

 

It's a sad fact of life journalists / activists are regularly killed for investigating corrupt organisations / regimes; including Thailand. In the past ten years 554 journalists have been killed worldwide...

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/12/30/past-decade-least-journalists-were-killed-worldwide/

 

 

Edited December 13, 20205 yr by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post & off-topic comment removed

A flame post and replies, along with several off-topic comments have been removed.

 

 

1 hour ago, simple1 said:

 

It's a sad fact of life journalists / activists are regularly killed for investigating corrupt organisations / regimes; including Thailand. In the past ten years 554 journalists have been killed worldwide...

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/12/30/past-decade-least-journalists-were-killed-worldwide/

 

 

 

Ruhollah Zam was a refugee - Iran really is an Islamic theocracy - precisions in the article linked below      

In February 2020, Zam's trial opened. According to the indictment, the opponent was prosecuted for "corruption on earth", one of the most serious charges in the Islamic Republic of Iran, punishable by death.

He was also prosecuted for “offenses against the internal and external security of the country”, “espionage for the benefit of the French intelligence service”, and insulting the “sanctity of Islam”.

Source: https://pressfrom.info/ca/news/weekendreads/-340856-iran-executes-a-former-opponent-who-had-refugee-status-in-france.html

 

Edited December 13, 20205 yr by Opl

3 hours ago, newatthis said:

Then so is the USA

No, In the US, the accused has full latitude to plead his case according to strictly codified procedures.

53 minutes ago, Opl said:

 

 

Ruhollah Zam was a refugee - Iran really is an Islamic theocracy - precisions in the article linked below      

In February 2020, Zam's trial opened. According to the indictment, the opponent was prosecuted for "corruption on earth", one of the most serious charges in the Islamic Republic of Iran, punishable by death.

He was also prosecuted for “offenses against the internal and external security of the country”, “espionage for the benefit of the French intelligence service”, and insulting the “sanctity of Islam”.

Source: https://pressfrom.info/ca/news/weekendreads/-340856-iran-executes-a-former-opponent-who-had-refugee-status-in-france.html

 

 

Thanks. but i know Iran is ruled by a Shiite Theocracy. Good to see France provided safe sanctuary for a Muslim dissident. I do think it's more respectful to note the man's professional life was journalism, not being defined as a refugee.

Edited December 13, 20205 yr by simple1

I'm sure France will be on full military alert......and do nothing.

 

France is beautiful, but I've had the unfortunate pleasure of listening to endless complaining and ridicule......and then when this happens they have to beg to those same countries they ridicule for help.

 

when you get old enough, you have enough data points...

 

 

35 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

Thanks. but i know Iran is ruled by a Shiite Theocracy. Good to see France provided safe sanctuary for a Muslim dissident. I do think it's more respectful to note the man's professional life was journalism, not being defined as a refugee.

Try again... " The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the arrest of Zam in October last year, describing him as a “counter-revolutionary” who was “directed by France’s intelligence service.”

That is more respectful to note that he was executed for political reasons, in an Islamic theocracy. In other words, it's incredible how religious laws can silence opponents. 

Edited December 13, 20205 yr by Opl

19 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

I'm sure France will be on full military alert......and do nothing.

 

France is beautiful, but I've had the unfortunate pleasure of listening to endless complaining and ridicule......and then when this happens they have to beg to those same countries they ridicule for help.

 

when you get old enough, you have enough data points...

 

 

 

It's not as if France wasn't standing up  against political Islam ranging from Salafi to Muslim Brotherhood..and alikes 

1 hour ago, Opl said:

No, In the US, the accused has full latitude to plead his case according to strictly codified procedures.

Not if taken to guantanamo.

1 hour ago, Opl said:

Try again... " The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the arrest of Zam in October last year, describing him as a “counter-revolutionary” who was “directed by France’s intelligence service.”

That is more respectful to note that he was executed for political reasons, in an Islamic theocracy. In other words, it's incredible how religious laws can silence opponents. 

You think IRGC can act independently of the theocracy??? Yes, it is know the alleged reason for his killings i.e. his professional work as a journalist. It is very well known dictatorships kill opponents, i.e. politically motivated - nothing new is it.

 

For some reason you're obsessed with trying to annoy, for the future play your games with someone else.

Edited December 13, 20205 yr by simple1

Off-topic posts regarding the U.S. have been removed.

3 hours ago, Opl said:

No, In the US, the accused has full latitude to plead his case according to strictly codified procedures.

You forget the innocent people who have been regularly released from death row following new evidence such as new DNA evidence, for example, this is irrefutable proof that innocent people sometimes have been unjustly executed! 
 

11 hours ago, Sujo said:

Not if taken to guantanamo.

Guantonamo is not in the United States.

 

18 hours ago, simple1 said:

You think IRGC can act independently of the theocracy??? Yes, it is know the alleged reason for his killings i.e. his professional work as a journalist. It is very well known dictatorships kill opponents, i.e. politically motivated - nothing new is it.

 

For some reason you're obsessed with trying to annoy, for the future play your games with someone else.

 

He was accused of "corruption on earth" (+“offenses against the internal and external security of the country”, “espionage for the benefit of the French intelligence service”, and insulting the “sanctity of Islam”) 

In Islamic Government (Hukumat-i Islami), Khomeini outlined the necessity for the charge of "corruption on earth" to "remove from the life of Muslim society all traces of kufr [rejection of Islam] and destroy them" (1971).

Refworld | Iran: Information on the criminal charge of "corruption on earth"; penalties applicable in law and in practice; whether an individual charged with this crime can be tried in absentia

 

 

Edited December 14, 20205 yr by Opl