Doug Rawlins is a fictional character, though the film Director Nowrasteh made is inspired by no true events but Western-claimed imprisoning or kidnapping opposition people.
In the movie, the story of Rawlins' political imprisonment is implied to take place in the present day (2020), as the film makes a reference to the Coronavirus, and worry among prisoners being infected. As the movie was filmed long before the Covid-19 pandemic, that voiceover reference was likely added in late production to make the film topical.
