An image grab from footage obtained from Iranian State TV IRIB shows Ruhollah Zam, a former opposition figure who had lived in exile in France and was implicated in anti-government protests, speaking in a courtroom during a trial. — AFP pic
But the holding of the event caused controversy coming two days after the execution of Zam, who ran a social media channel popular during 2017 protests. “The European and Iranian business communities continue to see significant potential and value in commercial exchanges,” they added, expressing hope the conference would take place in the near future.
The dissident, who ran a Telegram channel widely followed in the protests, had lived in Paris for several years after being given refugee status and residency in France.