Rouhollah Zam case handed over to Judge Solevati; Five others also arrested
Nearly four months after the arrest of Rouhollah Zam and his transfer to Iran, the Islamic Republic’s judicial system says that with the issuance of an indictment, his case has been handed over to Judge Solevati, and in connection with this case, five other individuals have also been arrested.
Gholamhossein Esmaili, spokesman for Iran’s judiciary, without naming the 5 arrested individuals in Rouhollah Zam’s case, merely announced that an indictment will likely be issued for these individuals in the coming days.
Rouhollah Zam – son of Mohammad Ali Zam, a known cleric and former official of the Islamic Republic – founded AmadNews, which generally covered corruption and violations by the Islamic Republic as well as news of protests and gatherings. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, he was arrested outside Iran on Monday, October 13, and brought to Iran.
Iran’s judiciary announced the issuance of an indictment for Mr. Zam and the referral of his case to Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, but his charges have not yet been made public by the media. It has also not yet been announced whether Rouhollah Zam’s trial will be held publicly or in closed session.
Judge Solevati is one of Iran’s judiciary officials who has been known since 2009 for issuing unjust verdicts. Last December, he was sanctioned by the United States on charges of human rights violations.
Reporters Without Borders reported in October this year that the Islamic Republic of Iran has used the charges of “espionage” and “cooperation with [hostile] countries” to arrest and convict many journalists, particularly journalists working with American media outlets.
Previously, the U.S. State Department published materials titled “40 Years of Unfulfilled Promises” of the Islamic Republic on its Persian Twitter account, writing about corruption, lack of freedom of expression, absence of justice, and unfulfilled economic promises by officials of the Islamic Republic.
In the 2019 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, the Islamic Republic of Iran ranks 170th among 180 countries in the world.
Source: Voice of America
