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Iran Executes Amad News Outlet Chief Zam for Inciting Anti-Gov't Protests

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iranian dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, who founded and ran the anti-government Amad News website and Telegram channel, the state-run Mehr news agency reported.
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According to the media outlet, the Iranian Supreme court on Tuesday upheld the Islamic Revolutionary Court's death sentence for Zam.

The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) non-governmental organisation has condemned the execution.

"RSF is outraged at this new crime of Iranian justice and sees [supreme leader] @ali_khamenei as the mastermind of this execution. RSF had warned [UN human rights chief] @mbachelet and [UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran] @JavaidRehman about his possible execution since the 23rd of October", RSF wrote on Twitter.
Iran Executes Amad News Outlet Chief Zam for Inciting Anti-Gov't Protests

In October 2019, the Paris-based Iranian exiled activist was arrested for what the outlet called counterrevolutionary activities during the unrest, which began in late 2017 over economic hardships in the country. According to Mehr, Zam was believed to have acted at the instruction of French intelligence and also received support from the US and Israeli intelligence services.

The nationwide rallies in Iran began in December 2017 and continued through January 2018 over what protesters called weak economic policies of the Iranian government and a spike in food prices. According to various media reports, hundreds have been arrested during the unrest.

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