Iran executes dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam for inciting unrest in 2017

Iran has executed once-exiled journalist Ruhollah Zam for his online work that inspired nationwide economic protests in 2017.

According to Al Jazeera report, Zam, who was captured in 2019 after years in exile, was executed four days after the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence against him that was earlier issued by a revolutionary court.

The state-run IRNA news agency has reported that the journalist was hanged early on Saturday morning.

The execution of the journalist has been condemned by Reporters Without Borders calling his trials as "grossly unfair".

Zam's website and a channel he created on the popular messaging app Telegram had spread the timings of the protests and embarrassing information about officials that directly challenged Iran's government, Al Jazeera said, adding that his Amad News feed had more than a million followers.

Protest shook Iran last year in November after the government unexpectedly announced that it woul would ration fuel and increase its price by at least 50 per cent.

Over 1,000 demonstrators were arrested at the time, while by some estimates, between 200 and 400 people were killed and thousands injured.