Amirsalar Davoudi

Amirsalar Davoudi

Biography

Amirsalar Davoudi has represented numerous human rights activists. He also founded and directed the Telegram channel “Without Retouch,” which published criticism of the Iranian regime’s judicial abuses, human rights violations, and oppression of human rights lawyers.

Arrests, Trials, and Appeals

The authorities arrested Davoudi in November 2018 and held him in Tehran’s notoriously brutal Evin Prison, including months in solitary confinement. Davoudi was denied access to his attorney for months.

Davoudi was charged with “insulting the officials,” “propaganda against the regime,” “cooperation with hostile governments via giving interviews to Voice of America,” and “forming groups to overthrow the system.” He was tried in Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, presided over by Chief Judge Abolqasem Salavati. Salavati, nicknamed “The Hanging Judge” or “The Judge of Death,” is infamous for handing down sentences of death or lengthy prison terms on trumped-up charges.

In June 2019, Salavati found Davoudi guilty of three of the four charges and sentenced him to 30 years in prison—reduced under Iranian law to 15—and 111 lashes. Salavati acquitted Davoudi of the charge of “cooperation with hostile governments.” The following month, Davoudi’s conviction was upheld on appeal.

In April 2021, Iran’s Supreme Court agreed to consider Davoudi’s request for a retrial. The Supreme Court struck down his sentence and ordered a retrial. However, at his retrial in July 2021, Judge Mohammad Reza Amouzad of Branch 28 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court confirmed Davoudi’s initial sentence verbatim and said that the Supreme Court’s judgment was wrong.

In December 2021, an appeals court in Tehran changed Davoudi’s sentence to a total of 14 years’ imprisonment, of which he must serve 10.

In May 2023, Davoudi’s appeal and requests for a conditional release and furlough from prison were rejected.

Treatment in Captivity

In February 2020, Davoudi went on a ten-day hunger strike to protest the fact that he had not been granted a temporary furlough.

In April 2021, Davoudi was transferred from Evin to Rajai Shahr Prison without being given an explanation.

In June 2022, Davoudi was sent back to Evin Prison after a year spent free on bail.

In August 2022, Davoudi reportedly came down with COVID-19, but prison authorities refused to test or treat him.

First Release on Bail and Return to Prison

In June 2021, Davoudi was released on bail pending his retrial. On June 26, 2022, more than six months after his resentencing and with no notice, Davoudi was ordered back to prison to begin serving his new sentence.

Second Release on Bail

In December 2023, Davoudi was again released on bail.

Activism from Prison

Davoudi released a letter from prison in November 2019 reaffirming his political views and expressing hope that one day no one would face prosecution for their ideas.

In March 2021, Davoudi and fellow political prisoner Baktash Abtin issued a statement condemning exiling of political prisoners and stating that they would carry out a hunger strike to support imprisoned labor activist Esmail Abdi.

Award

Davoudi was awarded the 2022 Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Award.