Amirsalar Davoudi

Age: 45
Activism/rights: Human rights lawyer
Status: Released on bail
Judicial status: 30 years’ imprisonment and 111 lashes; awaiting retrial
Violations: Arbitrary arrest and detention; lack of a fair trial and due process; judicial harassment; torture; denial of medical care; denial of access to a lawyer; prolonged solitary confinement; denial of family contact and visits; prison exile; judicial harassment

Amirsalar Davoudi is a lawyer who has represented a number of political prisoners and civil activists, religious converts, and members of the Baha’i community. 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 spent 190 days in solitary confinement. 

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 "Death 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. The sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeal on 30 July 2019.

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, while Amirsalar was attending the Evin Prosecutor’s Office, he was unexpectedly arrested by order of the judge of Branch One of the Sentence Enforcement Unit and transferred to Ward 4 of Evin Prison. The 2022 Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Award was presented to Amirsalar in absentia on 23 September.

He survived the 15 October 2022 attack on Evin Prison during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” nationwide protests. He was deprived of the right to contact his family for two months due to publishing a post about the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.

In February 2024, Amirsalar filed a complaint against three current and former security officials of the Islamic Republic judiciary on charges of “commission of proven disciplinary offences and violations”.

On 2 September 2024, Amirsalar was granted a three-day prison furlough, and the enforcement of his sentence was suspended following the acceptance of his request for a retrial. He remains free on bail while awaiting a hearing before a parallel branch of the Court of Appeal.