Iran executes journalist who inspired 2017 protests

Authorities say Iran has executed a once-exiled journalist over his online work that helped inspire nationwide ecomic protests in 2017. Iranian state television and state-run IRNA news ncy said that Ruhollah Zam was hanged early Saturday morning. In June, a court sentenced Zam to death, saying he had been convicted of “corruption on Earth,” a charge often used in cases involving espion or attempts to overthrow Iran’s government.

Zam’s website and a channel he created on popular messaging app Telegram had spread timings of protests and embarrassing information about officials that directly challenged Iran’s Shiite ocracy. Those demonstrations, which began at end of 2017, represented biggest challenge to Iran since 2009 Green Movement protests and set st for similar mass unrest in vember of last year.