News / Politics

Iran summons French envoy to protest statement on execution of counterrevolutionary propagandist

Sunday, 13 December 2020 2:06 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 14 December 2020 10:04 AM ]

The file photo shows a view of the Iranian Foreign Ministry building in Tehran.

Iran has summoned French Ambassador to Tehran Philippe Thiebaud to protest a statement issued by the European country's Foreign Ministry condemning the execution of Rouhollah Zam, administrator of a notorious counterrevolutionary website, who was convicted of corruption on earth, among other crimes.

Iranian Foreign Ministry's Director General for European Affairs summoned the French diplomat Sunday afternoon to voice the Islamic Republic’s “official protest” over the French Foreign Ministry's statement.

The French ambassador said he would relay the Islamic Republic's message to his country's officials.

France reacted with anger on Saturday to the execution of the Paris-based counterrevolutionary figure, saying it ran counter to Iran's international obligations.

“France condemns in the strongest possible terms this serious breach of free expression and press freedom in Iran,” the ministry claimed in its statement, describing the execution as an "unacceptable act.”

Zam, who used to run the counterrevolutionary Amad News website, was hanged on Saturday after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld a death sentence issued by the Islamic Revolution Court back in June.

Iran executes admin of counterrevolutionary Amad News website

Iran executes Rouhollah Zam, the administrator of a notorious counterrevolutionary website, who had been convicted of corruption on earth.

He was convicted of committing offenses against the country’s internal and external security, spreading lies, abetting economic disruption, spying for the intelligence services of France and one of the regional states, cooperating with the hostile US government against the Islamic Republic, participating in propaganda activities against the Islamic establishment on behalf of counterrevolutionary groups, fueling violence during the 2017 riots, insulting the sanctities of Islam and acquiring illegitimate wealth.

Zam, who reportedly lived in Paris, encouraged rioters to arm themselves and taught them how to make explosives via his news feed. Telegram shut down his channel following the deadly riots between December 28, 2017 and January 3, 2018 in Iran.

Zam was first arrested in October 2019 by the Intelligence Organization of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corp (IRGC).

His arrest was made possible through a meticulous intelligence operation that involved outmaneuvering the intelligence services of certain Western countries, especially France, for which he used to spy.

Earlier on Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry also summoned Germany’s ambassador to Tehran after the European Union expressed strong sympathy for Zam's execution.