The late Iranian journalist Rouhollah Zam was not told of his execution date in advance of the event, according to a post on an Instagram account purportedly belonging to his father.
Rouhollah Zam was hanged on Saturday after Iran's supreme court upheld a death sentence passed in June over his role in protests during the winter of 2017-2018, among other charges.
At least 25 people were killed during the unrest in December 2017 and January 2018 that was sparked by economic hardship.
Mohammad Ali Zam, a cleric who served in high-ranking government positions in the 1980s, said he had met his son a day before his execution, which Rouhollah was not told had been confirmed.
"The person responsible for the case had insisted multiple times that no one should say anything about the confirmation of his execution," Mohammad wrote, recalling people crying during congregational prayers with Rouhollah that day.
He was killed four days after the supreme court upheld the sentence – a move that rights group Amnesty International said aimed at avoiding an international campaign to save the dissident journalist's life.
Rouhollah, who founded the anti-government website and Telegram channel AmadNews, was charged with 13 offences that fall under the vague umbrella of sowing “corruption on earth” – a capital crime in Iran.
AmadNews was shut down on Telegram after it “started to instruct subscribers to use Molotov cocktails against police”, said Telegrams chief executive Pavel Durov.
Rouhollah quickly created another channel.
He was granted asylum in France, fleeing Iran after the 2009 presidential election protests. Rouhollah was then arrested and repatriated under unknown circumstances in October 2019.
The French Foreign Ministry said he left France on October 11, 2019. It said it had no information about his arrest outside France.
Iran says it ran a “meticulous intelligence operation” to deceive foreign intelligence services and lure him back into the country for prosecution.
“Zam had been ... promoting Irano-phobia, disseminating fake news, fomenting doubt among the young generation about religious beliefs, preparing the ground for acts of violence and terror, and provoking unrest inside the country,” state news agency Press TV reported.
Reporters Without Borders said Rouhollah was kidnapped and forcibly returned to Iran.
In 2017, Mohammad wrote a letter criticising his son for crossing the “red line”, Iranian media reported at the time.
“Our red line is the supreme leader, but you passed the red line,” the letter said.
After his son's arrest, Mohammad claimed Rouhollah was not allowed to see family or lawyers for nine months and was permitted to meet only a court-appointed lawyer under the supervision of security personnel. Mohammad's claims were reported by Amnesty International.
The initial spark for the 2017 protests was a sudden jump in food prices. Many believe that hardline opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani instigated the first demonstrations in the conservative city of Mashhad in north-east Iran, trying to direct public anger at the president. But as protests spread from town to town, the backlash turned against the entire ruling class.
Rouhollah is one of three opposition figures apparently detained after intelligence operations abroad. In late July, a California-based member of an Iranian militant opposition group in exile was abducted while in the Gulf, his family said.
Iran is believed to have seized the former head of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, a militant separatist group, while he was in Turkey. Iran accuses Farajollah Cha’ab of being behind a 2018 attack on a military parade that killed at least 25 people and wounded 70.
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Tests 11; Runs 573; 100s 0; 50s 5; Avg 27.38; Best 94
ODIs 58; Runs 1,957; 100s 5; 50s 11; Avg 36.24; Best 171
T20s 52; Runs 1,456; 100s 1; 50s 7; Avg 31.65; Best 116 not out
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
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Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
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Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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Director: Ayan Mukerji
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Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
ESSENTIALS
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Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
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Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now