Amirsalar Davoudi is one of the best-known human rights lawyers in Iran. He has represented numerous political prisoners, especially those persecuted on religious and ethnic grounds. On May 31, 2019, Davoudi was sentenced to 15 years in prison, 111 lashes and the revocation of his civil rights for 2 years. Bucerius Law School views the persecution of the legal profession in Iran with growing concern and calls for the release of human rights lawyer Amirsalar Davoudi, who was imprisoned in violation of the rule of law.
Davoudi has accepted great personal danger for defending of his clients and his determined commitment for justice. In 2022, his work for the equal participation of women in society and for freedom rights in Iran were recognized with the Ludovic Trarieux Human Rights Award.
Accusations Against Davoudi
Davoudi's conviction is based, among other things, on the accusations of having formed a "group to overthrow the government" and of having carried out "propaganda against the state". These accusations are linked to publicly expressed criticism by Amirsalar Davoudi of corruption within the Iranian judicial system, the death penalty, and the general human rights situation in Iran. At the beginning of his imprisonment, Davoudi had no access to legal counsel and was held in solitary confinement for several months. Until his trial, he had no contact with his wife or his now seven-year-old daughter.
The fate of Amirsalar Davoudi's is not an isolated case. Women's and human rights activists, critics, and members of religious or ethnic minorities are subjected to arbitrary arrests and politically motivated convictions in Iran. The proceedings blatantly violate generally recognized principles of the rule of law, which are also binding for Iran under Article 14 of the ICCPR.
The judges are neither independent nor impartial. Witness statements and confessions are often pre-written and forced through torture and threats. Defendants often do not have access legal representation of their own choosing or are unable to contact them before the trial. The work of independent lawyers is threatened by systematic intimidation and arrests.
