The EU has condemned Iran’s hanging of journalist Ruhollah Zam but claimed nuclear arms talks will go on regardless of human rights abuses or brutal acts of the regime.
"We're doing what we can, seeking clarification from our Iranian partners, doing outreach, and hoping that the execution will not proceed," an EU foreign service spokesman said in Brussels on Monday when asked about Ahmadreza Djalali, a dual Swedish-Iranian national sentenced to death for espionage.
On Saturday, Iran executed Zam, who had been living in exile in France. Zam was abducted by Iranian agents after visiting neighboring country Iraq.
France called the execution a "barbarous" act. Austria, Germany, and Italy also condemned it.
However, a nuclear talk with Iran scheduled on Wednesday will go ahead as planned despite Zam's killing, the EU foreign service said.
"I wouldn't mix the two issues," the EU spokesman said on Monday.
