Iranian Lawyer Given A 30-Year Jail Sentence Released On Hefty Bail

Amirsalar Davoudi has been incarcerated since 2019 and has now been granted temporary release from Evin Prison on bail of 50 billion rial, equivalent to $100,000, a substantial sum in Iran.

His wife Tanaz Kolahchian revealed the news of his release on Monday.

Davoudi had created a channel on the social media platform Telegram through which he highlighted human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic.

Found guilty by a revolutionary court on charges of "propaganda against the state" and "insulting officials," Davoudi was sentenced to 30 years in jail and 111 lashes.

He was also alleged to have “collaborated with an enemy state" in giving an interview to Voice of America Persian-language television.

In April, Davoudi’s lawyer Vahid Farahani said that Davoudi was accused of "establishing a group to overthrow the system" in an interview with the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran.

Davoudi is among a number of distinguished defense lawyers jailed in Iran for carrying out their legal duties.

A 38-year sentence given to defense attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh in 2019 drew widespread international condemnation before her release two years into her term.

Without recourse to defense attorneys held for executing their professional responsibilities, defendants on politically motivated charges are compelled to select their legal representation from a list of state-approved lawyers.