Ruhollah Zam facts for kids

Ruhollah Zam (Persian: روح‌الله زم, also spelled "Rouhollah Zam"; July 27, 1978 – December 12, 2020) was an Iranian journalist. He was well-known for running a Telegram channel called 'Amadnews'. He started this channel in 2015.

Zam played an important part in the 2017–2018 Iranian protests. He shared a lot of information about these events. In June 2020, a court in Iran found him guilty of "corruption on earth." This was because he ran a popular online forum that officials said encouraged the protests. An Iranian court sentenced him to death, and he died on December 12, 2020.

About Ruhollah Zam

Ruhollah Zam was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1978. His father, Mohammad-Ali Zam, was a reformist who worked in high government jobs in the 1980s and 1990s. Mohammad-Ali Zam named his son "Rouhollah" because he supported Ruhollah Khomeini, who started the Islamic Republic in Iran. However, Ruhollah later asked his friends to call him Nima.

Ruhollah Zam became critical of the government after the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests. He was put in Evin Prison for a while. Later, Zam left Iran and moved to France.

He was most famous for running the 'Amadnews' Telegram channel. This channel was also known as 'Sedaiemardom', which means "Voice of the People." He started it in 2015. Zam was very active during the 2017–2018 Iranian protests. His channel focused on sharing news about these protests.

The goal of the Telegram channel was "spreading awareness and seeking justice." It had about 1.4 million followers. The channel shared details about when and where protests would happen. It also shared information about officials who were against the Iranian government.

In 2018, the Iranian government said the channel was sharing information on how to make dangerous items. Because of this, Telegram shut down the channel. But it soon came back online with a different name. Voice of America's Persian service often invited Zam to speak on their shows.

Ruhollah Zam was married to Mahsa Razani. They had two daughters together.

Ruhollah Zam's Arrest

On October 14, 2019, Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced they had brought Zam back to Iran and arrested him. Other reports said he was arrested in Iraq by intelligence officers. These reports claimed he was then given to Iran because of an agreement between the two countries.

His court hearing took place in Tehran. The judge was Abolqasem Salavati. On June 30, 2020, a spokesperson for the court, Gholamhossein Esmaili, said Zam was sentenced to death.

Ruhollah Zam's Death

Ruhollah Zam died on December 12, 2020. He was in Rejaei Shahr prison at the time.

After his death, some countries reacted. Ambassadors from France, Germany, Austria, and Italy canceled their plans to join an online business meeting with Iran. The International Bar Association Human Rights Institute said his death was a "judicial murder."

See also

In Spanish: Ruhollah Zam para niños

• Navid Afkari, a wrestler who died in 2020 after being accused of actions during the 2017–2018 Iranian protests
• Capital punishment in Iran
• List of foreign nationals detained in Iran