Iran asked to free AIDS doctors held for six months on illegitimate charges

          
          Iran to Free AIDS Doctors Held for Six Months on Illegitimate Charges
         
          WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO
          
          Physicians for Human Rights
          DONATE GET INVOLVED RESOURCES PRESS STUDENTS SEARCH
         
          December 22, 2008
          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
          Iran Asked to Free AIDS
          

          Media Contacts:
  
          In Cambridge, Massachusetts
          Physicians for Human Rights
          Jonathan Hutson (English)
          +1-857-91 9-51 30 (mobile)
          jhutson [ at] phrusa [ dot] org
          Doctors Held for Six Months on
   
          In New York
          Human Rights Watch
          Joe Amon (English)
          +1-212-216-1286
          +1-917-519-8930 (mobile)
          Rebecca Schleifer (English)
          +1-212-216-1273
          + 1-646-331 0324 (mobile)
          PHR e-newsletter
        
          Darfur - Survival Campaign
          Hadi Ghaemi
          International Campaign for Human
          Rights in Iran
          +1-917-669-5996 (mobile)
          had ighaemi [ at] iranhumanrights [ dot] org

          PHR LIBRARY
          Search by:
          Document Type
          Issue
          Country
          Keyword Search :
          key word R3O
          Margaret Salmon, MD/MPH
          The Harvard Friends of ftJaeis
          +1-617-460-4084
          msalmon [ at] Ilu [ dot] edu
          skype: msalmonmd
          PHR CAMPAIGNS
          (Cambridge, MA)--On the
          sixth-month anniversary of Iran's - I
          detention of Dr. Arash Ataei and Dr. reelosorg 1
          Kamiar ALaei—Iranian brothers who
          are known worLdwide as HIV/AIDS
          physicians—internationaL NGOs, academic institutions, and medicaL
          Leaders from across the gLobe are asking Iran to free them
          immediateLy.
          The doctors have been heLd in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since
          Late June 2008. They were indicted this month on charges of
          communicating with an “enemy government” according to their
          attorney, Masoud Shafie. Iran shouLd drop these iLLegitimate and
          poLiticaLLy motivated charges, the groups and Leaders said.
          In an excLusive interview with the InternationaL Campaign for Human
          Rights in Iran, Shafie said that the brothers have been indicted under
          articLe 508 of the IsLamic PenaL Code, which states that anyone found
          guiLty of communicating with an “enemy government” shaLL be
          sentenced one-to-ten years in prison.
          1 of 3
          03/08 2010 13:36
        

          
          Iran to Free ADS Doctors Held for Six Months 
          Bringing this charge against the Ataeis is LikeLy to have a chiLLing effect
          on the Iranian medicaL communitys abiLity to share their work and
          Learn from gLobaL experts, which couLd undermine the heaLth of the
          Iranian peopLe.
          The brothers have aLready been detained two months Longer than
          Iranian penaL code aLLows. According to Shafie, ArticLes 30-34 of the
          Code of PenaL Procedure of the IsLamic RepubLic of Iran aLLow for
          detentions but require that the investigating judge issue such
          detention orders for one month at a time and for no Longer than four
          months.
          The brothers are aLso LegaLLy eLigibLe for baiL, but the judge in the case
          has not issued baiL nor heLd a baiL hearing.
          Over 3,100 peopLe from more than 85 countries have signed an onLine
          petition demanding their reLease, which can be viewed at
          IranFreeTheDocs.org .
          SeveraL of the worLds most accompLished HIV/AIDS and heaLth
          experts--incLuding the GLobaL Fund executive director, Professor
          MicheL Kazatchkine; the Partners in HeaLth co-founder, Dr. PauL
          Farmer; Wafaa EL-Sadr, MD, 2008 MacArthur Foundation FeLLow MPH;
          Hossam E. FadeL, MD, of the IsLamic MedicaL Association of North
          America; a 1993 NobeL Laureate in medicine, Sir Richard Roberts PhD,
          FRS; and the Ugandan AIDS pioneer Dr. Peter Mugyenyi, have signed a
          Letter urging the ALaei brothers reLease (PDF).
          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 this faLL. In 2007, he received a master 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
          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.
          2 of 3 03/08 2010 13:36
        

          
          Iran to Free AiDS Doctors Held for Six Months on Charges
          Date posted: December 22, 2008
          Last updated: June 22, 2009
         
          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 13:36