The father of an Iranian journalist who was abducted in Iraq in 2019, taken to Iran and hanged has accused former president Hassan Rouhani and another top official of playing the main role in his death.

Mohammad Ali Zam, a cleric and father of Ruhollah Zam wrote in a post on Instagram the Supreme National Security Council headed by Rouhani and Ali Shamkhani had formed a “special commission” to pursue his son and destroy him. He has alleged that the commission was made of liaisons from 9-12 different entities.

Ruhollah Zam, who left Iran and was living in France was a dissident journalist who relentlessly worked to reveal the inner workings of the Islamic Republic and was in charge of Amad News.

He was lured to Iraq by two individuals, that his father named, and was kidnapped by Iran’s secret services and taken to Iran. After interrogations and possibly torture he was hanged in December 2020.

Authorities accused Zam of spying for Israel and France and “cooperation with the hostile US government”. He was also accused of “collecting information to share with others,” and a host of other general and vague infringements.