#NoBusinessasUsual: France, others withdraw from Iran business forum over execution

Following a growing row between Iran and European nations over the execution of Iranian dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam.

France said on Sunday its ambassador to Iran would not participate in an online business forum in Tehran this week.

Other envoys from Germany, Austria and Italy were also cancelling their involvement in the Dec. 14 event, the French Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.

At the foot of its tweet, the ministry ran the hashtag #nobusinessasusual.

In a separate statement, organisers of the Europe-Iran business forum later said they were postponing the event.

Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the envoys from France and Germany, the current holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, to protest over French and EU criticism of the execution on Saturday, Iranian media reported.

France on Saturday called Zam’s execution “barbaric and unacceptable”, and said it ran counter to Iran’s international obligations.

Zam had been based in Paris before he was captured in Iraq and taken to Iran.

Zam was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017.

His Amadnews feed had more than one million followers.