Arzhang Davoodi, a poet, teacher, and co-founder of the pro-Western Confederation for Iranian Students (CIS), has been imprisoned since October 2003 and now faces fresh charges of "enmity against God," which carries a potential death sentence. The new charges are believed to be linked to an audio recording in which he calls for "freedom and democracy."

Davoodi has spent several periods of his imprisonment in solitary confinement, is at risk of torture, and has not been allowed to see his family since he was transferred to Section 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran.

His arrest in 2003 was the result of his participation in a documentary, Forbidden Iran, in which he spoke out about human rights violations in Iran.