Iran-Europe business summit shelved over journalist execution

TEHRAN

A high-profile virtual business summit has been put on the back burner amid a growing row between Iran and European countries over the execution of a dissident journalist.

In a statement on Sunday night, organizers of the Europe-Iran Business Forum said they have decided to postpone the online event that was slated to take place on Dec. 14-16.

The organizers said over 3,300 individuals from 40 countries had registered to participate in the forum convened by International Trade Centre and the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran.

It came amid a diplomatic row between Iran and some European countries over the execution of Ruhollah Zam, who was charged of fanning violence during anti-government protests in 2017.

Zam had taken up asylum in France in 2011 from where he operated social media channels. He was arrested by Iran’s IRGC from Iraq in October 2019 and brought back to face trial.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Saturday summoned the French envoy to Tehran, and also the envoy of Germany, which presently holds the chair of the European Union, over their criticism of the execution.

France had termed the dissident journalist’s execution as “barbaric and unacceptable”. The EU also condemned it strongly, so did international human rights watchdogs.

On Sunday, the French foreign ministry said that its envoy to Iran would be skipping the online business forum in Tehran. The ministry, in a statement posted on Twitter with hashtag #nobusinessasusual, said other envoys from Germany, Austria and Italy would also not be participating in the event.

The conference, according to its organizers, was aimed at using “economic diplomacy” to provide a “framework for constructive relations” and “advancing economic opportunities”.

The growing rift is likely to have an impact on Tehran’s already fractured relations with the EU, which continues to make efforts to keep alive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Iran, however, claims that the Europeans have not fulfilled their commitments under the deal, especially after the US announced unilateral withdrawal in May 2018.