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Iran Begins Trial of Opposition Figure Ruhollah Zam

Ruhollah Zam
Ruhollah Zam
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Iran Begins Trial of Opposition Figure Ruhollah Zam

Ruhollah Zam
Ruhollah Zam

Tehran court began the trial of opposition figure Ruhollah Zam, an Iranian in exile in France, who was arrested by the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iraq last October, according to the French Press Agency (AFP).

Zam, a journalist-turned-activist who headed Telegram’s Amadnews with more than 1 million followers on social media, was based in France. Tehran accused him of carrying calls for violence on the channel during the protests in winter 2017-2018.

In the three years before his arrest, Zam published leaks of major cases involving senior officials and their children. He is also accused of revealing sensitive intelligence information on the deployment and role of al-Quds Force in Syria and Iraq.

Amadnews was suspended by the messaging app Telegram last year at the request of Iranian authorities, saying this channel incites violence, reported AFP.

However, after the closure, Telegram gave Amadnews another opportunity to broadcast, which further highlighted Iranian violations against the demonstrators.

Fars news agency, IRGC’s media platform, said that a representative of the public prosecutor read Zam indictment’s which includes 15 charges.

Among the other charges, he was suspected of having “committed offenses against the country's internal and external security” and “espionage for the French intelligence service”.

He was also accused of having insulted "the sanctity of Islam."

IRGC arrested Zam in October, in mysterious circumstances and accused him of “working with French intelligence and receiving support from the US intelligence and the Zionist regime.”

On Monday, Iranian state television announced it will broadcast a documentary revealing Zam’s connections.

Zam's father was an official close to the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, making it easier for him to communicate with sources and children of officials to leak confidential information of decision-makers in Iran.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called on Iran to stop broadcasting videos of “confessions” by suspects, saying they “violate defendants’ rights.”

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Firefighters Race to Contain Wildfires in Greece as Thousands Evacuated, 2 Die in Türkiye

Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
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Firefighters Race to Contain Wildfires in Greece as Thousands Evacuated, 2 Die in Türkiye

Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis

Firefighters battled blazes Thursday near Athens and on the island of Crete, where thousands were forced to flee holiday resorts, while blazes in neighboring Türkiye claimed at least two lives.

More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and residents were evacuated from the Ierapetra area along Crete’s southern coast, authorities and hotel association officials said. A small number of people fled into the sea and were rescued by local fishermen and divers, The Associated Press reported.

Ierapetra Mayor Manolis Frangoulis said firefighters working to prevent flare-ups and take advantage of a lull in high winds. “Thankfully no one was hurt but it's a difficult situation," he said.

Displaced tourists were relocated to other hotels or spent the night in an indoor basketball stadium. Several homes and businesses were damaged. Volunteers found dead farm animals, some burned alive while chained inside sheds.

Separately, a wildfire near the port of Rafina, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of Athens disrupted local ferry services to the islands. Police went door-to-door to assist elderly residents while carrying out an evacuation order. In western Türkiye, a local forestry worker was killed while trying to contain the fire near the town of Odemis, and an 81-year-old resident died from smoke inhalation, authorities said. It marked the first fatalities in a series of wildfires that have forced thousands to flee.

Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to battle a wildfire near the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a popular vacation destination about 190 kilometers (120 miles) west of Odemis.

That fire, which began Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighborhoods and led to road closures. Television footage showed flames racing through dry vegetation on both sides of a highway.

Over the past week, Türkiye has battled hundreds of wildfires fueled by strong winds, extreme heat and low humidity. Now mostly under control, the blazes have damaged or destroyed about 200 homes.

Summer wildfires are common in both Greece and Türkiye, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.

Late Wednesday, Türkiye’s parliament adopted a landmark climate law targeting net-zero emissions by 2053. The legislation includes measures to establish a carbon market board to oversee efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The law comes at a time when Türkiye is increasingly grappling with issues related to climate change, from searing heatwaves to prolonged droughts, experts say.

“As a Mediterranean country, Türkiye is highly vulnerable to climate change,” said Gizem Koc, a lawyer with the UK-based environmental advocacy group ClientEarth.

“The most striking vulnerability is the drought and water stress in some regions, but also there is increasing frequency of floods and other extreme weather events.”