An Iranian activist and journalist accused of inciting violence during anti-government demonstrations has been executed, according to Iranian news reports.

Ruhollah Zam’s death sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court on Tuesday. Zam, 47, had spent years in exile in France and was the founder of Amadnews, a popular anti-government online forum on the encrypted messaging app Telegram which has more than 1.4 million followers.

Iranian officials accused him of using the app to foment anti-government protests in 2017 and 2018. The app showed videos of the protests and information about government officials.

In October 2019, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards boasted they had lured Zam back to Iran using “modern intelligence methods and innovative tactics.”

Zam, who once boasted he had more bodyguards in France than the country’s president, was executed by hanging Saturday.

The French foreign ministry reacted with anger after the news of the hanging Saturday. “France condemns in the strongest possible terms this serious breach of free expression and press freedom in Iran.”