Aadel Collection

Iran uses AIDS doctors’ imprisonment as first test of obama administration

          
          Iran Uses ADS Doctors' In' risonncnt as First Test of Obama Adntñstration ltp://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/news-2009- 1-20 ,hfll
          PHR Home> PHR Library
          My PHRI Log In
          WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO
          PHR
          DONATE GET INVOLVED RESOURCES PRESS STUDENTS SEARCH
          Printer Friendly
          Send to a friend
          PHR Library
          Physicians for
          Human Rights
          PHR LIBRARY
          Search by:
          Document Type
          Issue
          Country
          L!9J
          Keyword Search :
          key word EGO
          PHR e-newsletter
          Subscribe now
          Get PHR news
          releases by email
          SubscriDe now
          PHR CAMPAIGNS
          January 20, 2009
          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
          Iran Uses AIDS Doctors' Imprisonment as First Test of
          Obama Administration
          Media Contacts:
          Jonathan Hutson
          jhutson [ at] phrusa [ dot] org
          Tel: (617) 301-4210
          Cell: (857) 919-5130
          (Cambridge, Mass.) - In the wake of
          President Barack Obama's
          inauguration, Iran has signaLed that
          the espionage triaL of two worLd-
          renowned AIDS doctors is a
          beLLwether for the future of US-Iranian reLations.
          The Washington Post reported on Jan. 19 that an unnamed Iranian
          senior counter-inteLLigence officiaL warned the new Obama
          administration that the case of Dr. Kamiar ALaei and Dr. Arash ALaei
          exempLifies a “fuLL fLedged inteLLigence war” between Iran and the US.
          “If Kamiar and Arash are engaged in any war, it's the battLe against
          HIV/AIDS,” said Sarah KaLLoch, Director of Outreach for Physicians for
          Human Rights (PHR). “They traveLed the worLd to share the Iranian
          modeL of HIV prevention, and to Learn from other countries about
          innovations in infectious disease treatment. Treating AIDS is not a
          crime—it is good medicine.”
          PHR has Learned that despite Leaks from Iranian officiaLs over the
          weekend to the media, the doctors onLy Learned on Jan. 20 that they
          had been convicted. Kamiar and Arash are sentenced to terms of
          three and six years respectiveLy. They wiLL serve their sentences in
          Tehran's notorious Evin Prison.
          “The doctors' triaL did not meet standards of due process under
          internationaL human rights Law or even under the Iranian penaL code,”
          said Jonathan Hutson, JD, Chief Communications Officer at PHR. “The
          brothers stiLL have not been fuLLy informed of aLL charges against them.
          Their attorney did not have the opportunity to examine the accuracy
          or reLevance of certain undiscLosed evidence and thus had no
          1 of 3
          03/08 2010 13:37
        
          
          Iran Uses ADS Doctors' In ' risonncnt as First Test of Obama Adntñstration ltp://physiciansforhumanrights.org/library/news-2009- 1-20hfll
          opportunity to rebut the case. PHR is concerned that the doctors may
          have been subjected to coercion during their intensive, six-month
          interrogation.”
          Their attorney plans to fiLe an appeaL; he has 20 days to do so. The
          brothers had been charged with communicating with an enemy
          government - charges which PHR has LabeLed iLLegitimate and
          politicaLLy motivated - as weLL as with secret charges which have not
          yet been made pubLic.
          Over the past two weeks, more than 2,000 peopLe around the worLd
          contacted the Iranian Mission to the United Nations demanding the
          Ataeis' reLease. In addition, more than 3,100 heaLth professionaLs from
          85 countries have signed an onLine petition demanding their reLease,
          which can be viewed at lranFreeTheDocs.org . Leading physicians and
          pubLic heaLth speciaLists and numerous medical and scientific
          organizations have pubLicLy caLLed for the brothers' reLease. These
          incLude HIV/AIDS and heaLth experts Luminaries such as GLobaL Fund
          Executive Director Professor Michet Kazatchkine; Partners in HeaLth
          co-founder Dr. PauL Farmer; 2008 MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant
          recipient Wafaa EL-Sadr, MD, MPH; Hossam E. FadeL, MD, of the IsLamic
          MedicaL Association of North America; 1993 NobeL Laureate in
          Medicine Sir Richard Roberts PhD, FRS; and Ugandan AIDS pioneer Dr.
          Peter Mugyenyi.
          “P HR and the thousands of medicaL and public heaLth practitioners
          from across the gLobe who support Kamiar and Arash are devastated,
          dismayed and disgusted by these sentences,” said KaLLoch.
          “Persecuting these doctors for their exempLary pubLic heaLth outreach
          wiLL put a chiLLing effect on medicaL research, science, and public
          heaLth in Iran, which wiLL uLtimateLy harm the Iranian peopLe.”
          Dr. Kamiar ALaei is a doctoraL candidate at the SUNY ALbany SchooL of
          PubLic Health in ALbany, New York and was expected to resume his
          studies there Last faLL. I n 2007, he received a Master's of Science
          degree in Population and International HeaLth from the Harvard
          School of PubLic HeaLth in Boston. Dr. Arash Alaei is the former
          director of the InternationaL Education and Research Cooperation of
          the Iranian National Research Institute of TubercuLosis and Lung
          Disease.
          Since 1998, the Drs. ALaei have been carrying out HIV/AIDS treatment
          and prevention programs, particuLarLy focused on harm reduction for
          injecting drug users. In addition to their work in Iran, the ALaei
          brothers have heLd training courses for Afghan and Tajik medical
          workers and have worked to encourage regionaL cooperation among 12
          MiddLe Eastern and CentraL Asian countries. Their efforts expanded
          the expertise of doctors in the region, advanced the progress of
          medicaL science, and earned Iran recognition as a modeL of best
          practice by the World HeaLth Organization.
          Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) mobilizes the health professions to
          2 of 3 03/08 2010 13:37
        
          
          Iran Uses ADS Doctors' In ' risonncnt as First Test of Obania Adntñstration http://physiciansforhumanrightsorg/library/news-2009- 1-201ifll
          advance the health and dignity of all people by protecting human
          rights. As a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban
          Landmines, PHR shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.
          Date posted: January 20, 2009
          Last updated: June 22, 2009
          I L. ' u'.r ‘ r rtk's
          About PHR I Donate I Action Center I Investigations I Forensic Program I Asylum Program
          Press I Students I Library I Contact PHR I Privacy Policy I 0 RSS Feeds
          © Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) 2009
          Physicians for Human Rights, 2 Arrow Street, Suite 301, Cambridge, MA 02138 I Tel 617.301.4200 I Fax 617.301.4250
          3 of 3 03/08 2010 13:37
        

Download Attachments:

Show More

Related Articles

Back to top button