Amirsalar Davoudi

Age: 42

Activism/right: Human rights lawyer

Status: Evin Prison

Judicial status: 30 years imprisonment and 111 lashes

Violations: Judicial harassment, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, lack of due process, unfair trial, denial of medical care, access to lawyer, access to lawyer, prolonged solitary confinement

Amirsalar Davoudi is a lawyer with a history of defending political prisoners and ethnic and religious minorities. He was arrested by security forces on 19 November 2018 and transferred to Ward 241 of Evin Prison. Prior to his arrest, security officers had raided his office and home, confiscating a number of his personal files and belongings. He was arrested in relation to his Telegram channel “Without Retouch,” where he discussed breaches in the judicial process, the judicial harassment of lawyers and human rights abuses. On 1 June 2019, Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court presided over by Judge Salavati, sentenced Amirsalar to 111 lashes and a total of 30 years in prison: 15 years for “forming a group to overthrow the political system (through his Telegram channel), propaganda against the system, publishing lies and insulting officials and the leader” amongst other charges. On 13 April 2021, Amirsalar was prison-exiled from Evin Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison. His request for a retrial was granted by Branch 41 of the Supreme Court on June 13, and he was released on bail. A month later, Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court upheld the original ruling by Branch 15.

On 26 June 2022, he surrendered to serve the rest of his sentence at Evin Prison. The 2022 Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Award was presented to Amirsalar in absentia on 23 September 2022. His daughter and wife, lawyer Tannaz Kolahchian accepted the award on his behalf on 16 June 2023. He survived the October 15 attack on Evin Prison during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" nationwide protests. On 22 May 2023, Amirsalar’s appeal, request for conditional release and furlough were all rejected. He continues to serve his sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison.