An "Islamic Revolutionary Court" in Tehran has upheld a thirty-year sentence against a prominent Iranian lawyer and defender of human rights.
A member of the Iranian Bar association and defender of several political activists, Amirsalar Davoudi, was initially sentenced to thirty years last June. He refused to appeal, and the sentence was automatically upheld on Tuesday, July 30.
"Fifteen years of the sentence is obligatory and implementable," Davoudi's fellow attorney, Mostafa Tork Hamadani twitted a day later, reiterating,"We will do everything possible under the law, to urge the head of the Judiciary and Tehran's Attorney General to cancel this verdict."
Furthermore, Davoudi has been sentenced to 111 lashes, 60 million Rials (approximately $1410) court fine and deprivation of his social rights for two years.
Amirsalar Davoudi was initially convicted by an "Islamic revolutionary court" for "propaganda against the state" and "insulting officials".
According to his lawyer Vahid Farahani, Davoudi was also accused of "collaborating with an enemy state" after giving an interview to Voice of America Persian-language television.
Davoudi was also in charge of managing "Without Retouch", a Telegram Channel, an platform to highlight human rights abuses.
Earlier in June, exiled Iranian lawyers had signed an open letter denouncing Davoudi's harsh sentence.
The letter called Davoudi "one of the most honorable lawyers across Iran."
"He has been convicted merely for defending victims of the judiciary and security agents, political prisoners and the oppressed, as well as audaciously criticizing the corrupt, cruel and inefficient political and judicial system in Iran," the letter said.
Agents of the judiciary's security and intelligence center arrested Davoudi, who counted several political prisoners among his clients, last November.
Security agents also searched Davoudi's home and office and confiscated his belongings. He had been taken in for questioning on previous occasions and warned not to inform the public about politically sensitive cases, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran.