Iran - Situation of Ruhollah Zam - Q&A - From the press briefing (16 October 2019)

Q: Can you confirm that Iranian journalist Ruhollah Zam had a French passport or residence permit and that he was under the protection of French services? How do you respond to the announcement that he was captured by the Revolutionary Guards?

Q: The wife of Ruhollah Zam, the Iranian dissident arrested by the Revolutionary Guards, has asked the French authorities for help. What is France’s response?

A : Ruhollah Zam, an Iranian national, has refugee status in France and as such has a residence permit issued in conjunction with asylum proceedings. Mr. Zam does not have French citizenship.

Mr. Zam is therefore free to enter and leave the country, and did leave on October 11.

We currently have no specific information concerning the circumstances of Mr. Zam’s arrest outside of France. We are following this case very closely.

We reiterate our commitment to upholding the rule of law and in particular, the freedom of expression and the right of asylum, and therefore strongly confirm Ruhollah Zam’s arrest.