Amirsalar Davoudi is one of Iran's most renowned lawyers currently imprisoned. He has defended numerous political prisoners in court. In his writings and lectures, published in magazines, on websites, and on social media, he has criticized the justice system and the policies of the Islamic regime in Tehran and advocated for civil and human rights.
15 years in prison for standing up for human rights
Amirsalar Davoudi was arrested on November 20, 2018, and imprisoned in the notorious Evin Prison. On May 31, 2019, he was sentenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran to 15 years in prison, 111 lashes, a heavy fine, and a two-year deprivation of all social rights. After being temporarily released on bail in June 2021—after two years and seven months in prison—the regime rearrested him on June 26, 2022. He was unable to say goodbye to his wife and daughter.
The RAV demands the release of Amirsalar Davoudi and all other lawyers imprisoned in Iran. Our colleague Davoudi represents numerous colleagues who are persecuted and imprisoned by the Iranian regime for their commitment to their clients and to human rights. Currently, in addition to Davoudi, six other lawyers – Arash Kaykhosravi, Mostafa Nili, Saeid Ataei Kachooei, Mohammad Najafi, and Giti Shafi'i – are imprisoned (as of February 28, 2023). The RAV also demands their release. We will present our demands to the Iranian Ministry of Justice and the Iranian Embassy.
Background
Our colleague Amirsalar Davoudi was born on June 21, 1981. He is married and has one daughter.
He is a member of the Iranian Bar Association (IBA) and the Human Rights Commission of the Tehran Bar Association. Davoudi has defended numerous political defendants, including the women's rights activist Aliyeh Motallebzadeh and members of the Baháʼícommunity who face persecution and discrimination in Iran because of their religion.
His clients also included the journalist and blogger Soheil Arabi, who was initially sentenced to death and later to years in prison, accused of heresy and apostasy from Islam. In the years leading up to his imprisonment, Davoudi became one of the most prominent lawyers in Iran.
His work extended far beyond defending the rights of his clients. On social media, Amirsalar Davoudi educated the Iranian population about their civil rights and offered advice. He also expressed criticism of the death penalty and the Iranian justice system. His publications, in particular, were used as grounds for his persecution and conviction.
Arrest of Amirsalar Davoudi
Davoudi was arrested by intelligence agents in his office in November 2018 and taken to Evin Prison. On May 31, 2019, the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced him to 15 years in prison, 111 lashes, a fine of 60 million rials (approximately $1,500 as of 2021), and a two-year deprivation of all social rights for "collaborating with enemy states," "forming a group to overthrow the established order," and "insulting state authority." The deprivation of all social rights meant he was prohibited from running for political office or working in educational or journalistic institutions.
On April 13, 2021, Davoudi was transferred to Gohardasht Prison in Karaj. A day later, the Supreme Court accepted Davoudi's request for a retrial, and he was temporarily released on June 13, 2021, after posting bail of 20 billion rials (as of 2021, approximately $470,000). Davoudi was rearrested on June 26, 2022, and was not allowed to say goodbye to his wife or daughter. His retrial request was denied, and the original verdict was upheld.
Conditions of detention
At the beginning of his imprisonment, Davoudi was denied legal counsel and held in solitary confinement for six and a half months. Only later was he placed in a small cell with three other prisoners. Contact with his family was also radically cut off during his imprisonment; he had no personal contact with his wife or daughter until his trial.
To increase pressure on the human rights lawyer and to learn more about his work, his wife was also interrogated. On February 9, 2020, Davoudi addressed the Iranian people in an open letter, announcing his intention to begin a hunger strike to draw attention to his rights as a political prisoner and to protest the rejection of his request for temporary release. Davoudi ended his hunger strike on February 19, 2020, but his request for temporary release was denied. On March 17, 2021, the lawyer began another hunger strike to protest the increasing transfer of political prisoners to regular prisons, where family visits are subject to even stricter restrictions.
Amirsalar Davoudi is not an isolated case
In recent years, several of our colleagues have been arrested and convicted by the Iranian judiciary. Among those convicted are Nasrin Sotoudeh and Mohammad Najafi. These two lawyers were sentenced to 12 and 14 years in prison, respectively, for representing the rights of political prisoners.
We are aware of the names of 66 other colleagues who have been arrested in Iran in recent years for their advocacy on behalf of their clients and for human rights. Even though the majority have since been released, this practice by the Iranian repressive authorities demonstrates the precarious nature of our colleagues' work.
Contact: Dr. Peer Stolle, lawyer and chairman of the RAV board: info@dka-kanzlei.de or Tel. 030-446 79 20
The sponsorship was established with the support of the International Society for Human Rights (www.igfm.de).
