Iran’s Government on Sunday summoned the French and German Ambassadors in Tehran to protest against the strong condemnation by the EU and France of the execution of journalist Rouhollah Zam, the official Iranian official news agency, IRNA, reported.
In his meeting with German Ambassador Hans-Udo Muzel, whose country occupies the rotating presidency of the European Union, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Director for Europe denounced the EU statement condemning the execution as an “unacceptable interference in Iranian domestic affairs.”
He also denounced what he described as the “indulgence” shown by “certain European countries” towards “elements propagating violence and perpetrating terrorist acts” against Iran, the agency said.
After his German colleague, French Ambassador Philippe Thiébaud was also summoned to the Ministry because of the ”interventionist” statement by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the application of the death sentence against Zam, IRNA reported.
On Saturday, the EU, through the Spokesperson of its External Action Service (EEAS), had condemned the execution “in the strongest terms,” and recalled its "irrevocable opposition to the use of capital punishment under any circumstancesopposition".
It also stressed that it was “imperative for the Iranian authorities to uphold the due process rights of accused individuals and to cease the practice of using televised confessions to establish and promote their guilt.”
In its condemnation, also issued on Saturday, France had described the execution as a “barbarous and unacceptable act contrary to Iran’s international commitments.”
Rouhollah Zam, who had refugee status in France, was executed by hanging on Saturday in Iran after being sentenced to death for his role in a wave of contestation in dozens of Iranian towns and cities between 28 December 2017 and 3 January 2018.
The Brussels Times
