Ruhollah Zam's father: My son was unable to write a will and did not know when he would be executed

Ruhollah Zam’s father said his son was not given the legal notice to write a will before his execution. He asked Iranian officials “why was there such a rush?” and why they promised to transfer his son to a general ward.

It has been three days since the execution of Ruhollah Zam, the director of the Telegram channel “Amadnews.” The execution sparked international reactions and prompted Muhammad Ali Zam, Ruhollah Zam’s father, to challenge the judiciary with questions.

After the European Union, Germany, France, and many international human rights organizations protested in response to the execution of Ruhollah Zam, the Iranian judiciary issued a statement attempting to respond to these reactions, including those of Zam's father.

But this answer did not convince Zam's family, prompting Ruhollah Zam's father to re-examine some aspects of his son's case on Instagram and ask judicial authorities to answer his questions.

Zam's father wrote in his Instagram post that according to the regulations governing the execution of death sentences, which were approved in 2019, after the verdict is issued and the defendant, his lawyer, and his family are notified, an execution meeting with his family is arranged so that he can meet his relatives for the last time.

According to Zam's father, the defendant can express his wishes to his family, either in writing or orally, before the sentence is carried out.

In his note, Zam's father addressed the audience of his questions as "dear relatives" and wrote that, in light of the announcement of the confirmation of Ruhollah Zam's death sentence by the judiciary, legal, constitutional, and humanitarian questions have been raised for the family.

Mohammad Ali Zam has asked, “Why was the defendant deprived of the right to know his sentence?” And why, after the sentence was announced, not only was his family not told that this was the last visit, but the case officer insisted that this matter be kept secret and even “it has been repeated several times that his son will be transferred from Ward 2A (ISIS Information) to the general ward in two to three days due to better facilities and more visits.”

At the end of the first part of his Instagram post, Zam's father stated that he did not have enough time to file a lawsuit and asked, "What real or extra-legal will was there to expedite the execution of the death sentence?"

“What concerns were there about the content of Ruhollah’s will?”

Zam's father has asked the authorities about his son's inability to write a will: "Why were the conditions for the defendant and his family to express written or oral wills, which are part of the Muslim obligations, not provided? And basically, what concern about the content of Ruhollah's will could have deprived him, his family, and his minor children of writing and having this historic handwriting?"

At the end of his note, Zam's father asked the judiciary to "at least announce reasonable answers to convince his family that they are being deprived of this legal right and to enlighten the truth-seeking society and world."

The judiciary has not yet provided a clear answer to the questions raised by Ruhollah Zam's father.

Zam's execution has particularly affected relations between Iran and Europe and has raised the sensitivities of European officials.

Rouhani: Zam's execution will not harm Iran-Europe relations

Hassan Rouhani said in a press conference with domestic and foreign media on Monday, December 14: "The sensitivities towards the execution of Zam are being removed, he was working for them."

Rouhani said: "It is not a good thing for Mr. Zam's life history that in this country, where we have the death penalty and punish, these countries show such concern and sensitivity towards this one case, leading to the inference that he was working for their interests."

Rouhani continued to emphasize: "I think it is unlikely that this issue will harm relations between Iran and Europe."

But contrary to Hassan Rouhani's words, the execution of Ruhollah Zam has damaged relations between Iran and Europe. The European-Iran economic summit, which was scheduled to be held in Tehran on Monday, December 14, was canceled due to the execution of Ruhollah Zam.

Source: DW