Iran executed Ruhollah Zam, the dissident journalist, who inspired protests in 2017. a court had sentenced Zam to death in June saying he was convicted of 'corruption on Earth', a charge often used in cases involving attempts to overthrow the government or espionage.
Zam used Telegram to communicate timings of the protests and relay embarrassing information about officials, challenging Iran’s Shia theocracy. His Telegram newsfeed was called Amadnews and had over one million followers. 47-year-old Zam was hanged early on Saturday morning.
Those demonstrations, which began at the end of 2017, represented the biggest challenge to Iran since the 2009 Green Movement protests. The initial spark for the protests was an increase in food prices. The protests eventually turned into demonstrations against the entire ruling class. According to officials, 21 people were killed and thousands arrested during the protests.
Zam fled Iran and was granted asylum in France. He had returned to Iran in 2019.
