France, other European countries withdraw from Iran business forum

Ambassadors for France and other European countries pulled out of a business forum planned to start Monday with Tehran's foreign minister, which has now been canceled, amid international outcry over the execution of journalist Rouhollah Zam, Report says, citing Kommersant.

But "due to the barbaric and unacceptable execution" of Zam, France's foreign ministry said on Twitter Sunday that it, along with Germany, Austria, and Italy, would not take part in the event, using the hashtag #nobusinessasusual.

Zam, 47, was convicted in Iran of stirring up dissent during anti-government protests in 2017 and was hanged Saturday after Iran's supreme court upheld a death sentence against him. In June, he was found guilty of "corruption on earth." The journalist had been living in exile in France and was reportedly kidnapped after traveling to Iraq last year.