Ruhollah Zam

{{Short description|Iranian journalist and activist (1978–2020)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ruhollah Zam

| other_names = Nima{{Cite web|url=https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/1154676/نیما-زم-که-بود|title="نیما زم" که بود؟|date=12 December 2020|website=مشرق نیوز}}

| image =

| occupation = Journalist

| spouse = Mahsa Razani

| children = 2

| parents = Mohammad Ali Zam (father)

| birth_date = {{birth date|1978|7|27|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Ray, Iran

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|12|12|1978|7|27|df=yes}}

| death_place = Tehran, Iran

| known_for = Operating Telegram channel Amadnews

| criminal_charge = Espionage
Mofsed-e-filarz

| criminal_penalty = Capital punishment by hanging

| criminal_status = Executed

}}

Ruhollah Zam ({{langx|fa|روح‌الله زم}}, also Romanized as "Rouhollah Zam"; 27 July 1978{{spnd}}12 December 2020) was an Iranian activist and journalist.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50045089|title=Ruhollah Zam: Iran 'arrests exiled journalist' for fanning unrest|publisher=BBC News|date=14 October 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-exile-telegram-channel-roohollah-zam-bring-down-government/28957053.html|title=Controversial Exile Using Social Media To Try To Bring Down Iranian Government|last=Najibullah|first=Farangis|date=5 January 2018|work=Radio Free Europe|access-date=8 January 2018}} Best known for operating a Telegram channel named 'Amadnews', which he founded in 2015, Zam played a high-profile role in the 2017–2018 Iranian protests, to which he devoted special coverage at the time. In June 2020, an Iran court found him guilty of "corruption on earth" for running a popular anti-government forum, which officials said had incited the 2017–2018 Iranian protests. He was sentenced to death by an Iranian court{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53238000 |title=Ruhollah Zam: Iran sentences journalist to death for fanning unrest|publisher=BBC News|language=en-US}} and was executed on 12 December 2020.

Biography

Ruhollah Zam was born into a clerical family in Tehran in 1978.{{Cite news|url=https://thearabweekly.com/tehrans-campaign-against-opposition-raises-questions|title=Tehran's campaign against the opposition raises questions|work=The Arab Weekly|access-date=17 March 2019|language=en-US|last=Alfoneh|first=Ali}} His father, Mohammad-Ali Zam, is a reformist who served in senior government positions in the 1980s and 1990s. Mohammad-Ali Zam chose the name "Rouhollah" for his son as he was a supporter of Rouhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic in Iran, however, Rouhollah later asked his friends to call him Nima. Ruhollah Zam turned against the establishment after the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, and was imprisoned in Evin Prison for some time. Zam eventually fled Iran to reside in France in 2011.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/bild-international/telegram-interview-iran-protest-54371208.bild.html|title=With highspeed internet, the regime would be gone in a month|work=Bild|access-date=4 January 2018|language=en-US|last=Abri|first=Ehsan}}

He was best known for operating a Telegram channel named 'Amadnews' (or 'Sedaiemardom', {{literal translation|Voice of the People}}), which he founded in 2015. Zam played a high-profile role in the 2017–18 Iranian protests, to which he devoted special coverage at the time.{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/78a46cea167e4f94ada0a690b7f2f3db|title=Protests in Iran fanned by exiled journalist, messaging app|work=AP News|access-date=31 December 2017|language=en-US|last=Gambrell|first=Jon}} The Telegram channel's mission is "spreading awareness and seeking justice", and it has about 1.4 million followers.{{Cite news|date=14 October 2019|title=Ruhollah Zam: Iran 'arrests exiled journalist' for fanning unrest|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50045089|access-date=14 December 2020}} It provided the timing and organizational details of the protests as well as information about officials that challenged the Iranian government. After the Iranian government complained that the channel gave information about how to make gasoline bombs, Telegram shut down the channel in 2018, but it reappeared with a different name.{{cite news |title=Iran Upholds Death Sentence Against French-Based Journalist Captured Last Year |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/press-freedom_iran-upholds-death-sentence-against-french-based-journalist-captured-last-year/6199321.html |access-date=13 December 2020 |work=Voice of America |agency=Reuters |date=8 December 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Vahdat |first1=Amir |title=Iranian journalist hanged for reporting 2017 anti-government protests |url=https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/iranian-journalist-hanged-for-reporting-2017-anti-government-protests-20201212-p56my6.html |access-date=13 December 2020 |work=The Age |date=12 December 2020}} Voice of America's Persian service frequently invited Zam on its broadcasts.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-app-powering-the-uprising-in-iran|title=The App Powering the Uprising in Iran, Where Some Channels Pushed for Violence|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=11 January 2018|language=en-US}}

Zam was married to Mahsa Razani and had two daughters.{{Cite web|title="The Regime Kidnapped my Husband from Baghdad"|url=https://iranwire.com/en/features/6378|access-date=2020-12-16|website=IranWire {{!}} خانه|language=en}}

Arrest

On 14 October 2019, Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced they had lured Zam back to Iran and arrested him, although according to other sources, he had been arrested in Iraq by intelligence officials, and handed over to Iran based on the extradition agreement between the two countries signed in 2011.{{Cite web|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/10/18/Iraqi-govt-source-challenges-IRGC-s-story-of-arrest-of-Iranian-dissident|title=Iraqi govt. source challenges IRGC's story of arrest of Iranian dissident|date=18 October 2019 |access-date=12 December 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201212-iran-executes-opposition-figure-ruhollah-zam-1|title=Iran executes opposition figure Ruhollah Zam|date=12 December 2020 |access-date=12 December 2020}} The court hearing was held at the 15th branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran, presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/02/10/2200329/first-trial-session-of-ruhollah-zam-held-in-tehran|title=First Trial Session of Ruhollah Zam Held in Tehran – Politics news|website=Tasnim News Agency|language=en|access-date=11 February 2020}} Zam was sentenced to death according to the judiciary spokesman, Gholamhossein Esmaili, on 30 June 2020.{{cite web |last=Karimi |first=Nasser |title=Iran journalist who fueled 2017 protests sentenced to death |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/iran-journalist-who-fueled-2017-protests-sentenced-to-death-1.5005313 |publisher=CTV News |date=30 June 2020 }}

=Accusations of French involvement=

Shortly after Zam's arrest, the French newspaper Le Figaro accused the French government of involvement. Zam, who was living under police protection, discussed all his travel plans with French Police. Le Figaro implied that French police did not discourage Zam from traveling, as part of a prisoner swap agreement with Iran.{{cite web | url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/espionnage-comment-l-iran-a-capture-un-opposant-vivant-en-france-20191015 | title=Espionnage: comment l'Iran a capturé un opposant vivant en France | publisher=Le Figaro | date=15 October 2019 | access-date=9 November 2021}}

In November 2021 the Iranian Security official Akbar Khoshkooshak claimed France helped organize the arrest of Zam, in return for the release of a French undercover agent, captured by Shiite militia in Syria.{{cite web | url=https://www.dw.com/fa-ir/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%DA%AF%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%B2%D9%85-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B9%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%87%D9%85%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%87/a-59766202?maca=per-tco-dw | title=روایتی متفاوت از دستگیری روح‌الله زم و ادعای همکاری فرانسه | publisher=DW.com | date=9 November 2021 | access-date=9 November 2021}}

Execution

Zam was executed by hanging on 12 December 2020.{{Cite news |date=12 December 2020 |title=Ruhollah Zam: Iran executes journalist accused of fanning unrest |language=en-GB |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55285301 |access-date=12 December 2020}} Zam was executed in Rejaei Shahr prison and was on hunger strike at the time of execution.{{Cite web |date=2020-12-13 |title="روح‌الله زم هنگام اعدام در اعتصاب غذا بود" |url=https://farsi.alarabiya.net/iran/2020/12/13/-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%B2%D9%85-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%87%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%BA%D8%B0%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF- |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=العربیه فارسی |language=fa}} A number of state officials including the state prosecutor Amin Vaziri were present to watch his execution.{{Cite web |title=جزئیات اعدام "روح الله زم" |url=https://news.gooya.com/2020/12/post-46381.php |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=news.gooya.com |language=en}}

=Reaction=

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the execution and stated,

{{blockquote|RSF is outraged at this new crime of Iranian justice and sees (Supreme Leader Ayatollah) @ali_khamenei as the mastermind of this execution.{{cite web | url=https://in.reuters.com/article/uk-iran-execution-dissident/iran-executes-dissident-journalist-ruhollah-zam-state-media-idUSKBN28M06S | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212105010/https://in.reuters.com/article/uk-iran-execution-dissident/iran-executes-dissident-journalist-ruhollah-zam-state-media-idUSKBN28M06S | url-status=dead | archive-date=12 December 2020 | title=Iran executes French-based dissident journalist captured last year | publisher=Reuters | date=12 December 2020 | access-date=12 December 2020}}}}

The foreign ministry of France, where Zam was living in exile, stated,

{{blockquote|France condemns in the strongest possible terms this serious breach of free expression and press freedom in Iran. This is a barbaric and unacceptable act that goes against the country's international commitments.}}

Amnesty International stated it was,

{{blockquote|Shocked and horrified ... We call on the international community, including member states of the UN Human Rights Council and the EU, to take immediate action to pressure the Iranian authorities to halt their escalating use of the death penalty as a weapon of political repression.}}

As a response to the execution, ambassadors from France, Germany, Austria, and Italy cancelled their participation in the Europe-Iran Business Forum, an online business forum.{{Cite news|date=13 December 2020|title=Ruhollah Zam: EU powers boycott Iran forum over execution|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55296434|access-date=14 December 2020}}

International Bar Association Human Rights Institute described it as a judicial murder.{{cite tweet|author=International Bar Association Human Rights Institute|user=IBAHRI|number=1338832718306664451|title=#IBAHRI condemns murder of Ruhollah Zam: #Iranian #dissident #journalist, editor of AmadNews, arbitrarily arrested in Oct 2020. Sentenced to death for ‘spreading corruption on earth’. Sentence confirmed on 8 Dec. Four days later hanged. #DeathPenalty #Iran|date=15 December 2020}}

In 2023, The documentary about Ruhollah Zam, Son of Mullah, was releasad. {{Cite news |last=Engström |first=Emma |date=2023-08-31 |title=”Son of the mullah” – en verklig thriller om paranoia |url=https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/en-verklig-thriller-om-paranoia-och-vald-i-mullornas-iran |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=Sveriges Radio |language=sv}} It follows the director, Nahid Persson Sarvestani, as she interviews and documents Zam during a year.