Human Rights Lawyer Amir Salar Davoudi Targeted with Security Charges as Authorities Threaten Use of New Espionage Bill

On 11 October, human rights lawyer Amirsalar Davoudi was arrested by security forces after attending the Isfahan Revolutionary Court to represent Mahshad Keshani, an imprisoned protester and the partner of recently executed political prisoner Alireza Sepahi. Amirsalar also represented Alireza who was executed along with Alireza Raisi on 5 October.

On 4 October, Amirsalar published an audio recording on his personal Instagram account in which Alireza and Mahshahd’s fathers, as the representative of their children, consent to Amirsalar officiating their children’s religious marriage (aghd). In the audio, Amirsalar then reads the official aghd text to the fathers. 

Both Mahshad and Alireza’s mother, Somayeh Afshar, who was arbitrarily arrested alongside her son on 10 January, are currently serving five-year prison terms. Following Alireza’s execution, Amirsalar published criticism of the procedural and legal flaws in both the “Alikhani Square” and “Shohada Square” cases. 

The judiciary’s Mizan News Agency confirmed news of Amirsalar’s arrest on 13 October. The Head of the Isfahan Province Judiciary stated: “[T]he publication of this material on this lawyer's social media page led to propaganda exploitation by hostile media, including Iran International, republication by Reza Pahlavi on his personal account and public incitement by him, thereby disturbing public opinion and inciting individuals to act against national security.”

"Accordingly, and pursuant to Clause (t) of Article 180 of the Code of Criminal Procedure enacted (2013), the judicial authority issued an arrest warrant, and on 11 October, he was charged with publishing falsehoods online to disturb public opinion, inciting people to kill one another with the intention of disrupting national security and propaganda against the system," the judiciary official stated.

According to the report, while a temporary detention order and bail were set, Amirsalar was transferred to Isfahan (Dastgerd) Central Prison due to his inability to post bail.

The Head of the Isfahan Judiciary noted: "The accused concealed his mobile telephone in an unknown location, and given that the audio file produced by the accused was broadcast on the hostile network Iran International, there is a possibility that the file was sent by the accused to that hostile network. Should this matter be proven and the falsity of the broadcast audio file confirmed, Article 4 of the ‘Law on Intensifying Punishments for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime’ will be brought against the accused, and necessary orders have been issued to complete the investigation in this regard."

Amirsalar Davoudi is a 45-year-old human rights lawyer and the recipient of the 2022 Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Award. In November 2018, he was arrested in relation to his Telegram channel “Without Retouch), where he criticised procedural flaws, the judicial harassment of lawyers and human rights violations. Originally sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and 111 lashes by “Death Judge” Salavati, his case has since undergone prolonged appeals and repeated cycles of detention. On 2 September 2024, Amirsalar was granted a three-day furlough, and the enforcement of his sentence was suspended after an Article 474 appeal was granted.