Iran to Free AIDS Doctors Held for Six Months on Illegitimate Charges
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December 22, 2008
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Iran Asked to Free AIDS
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Doctors Held for Six Months on
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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.
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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.
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Iran to Free AiDS Doctors Held for Six Months on Charges
Date posted: December 22, 2008
Last updated: June 22, 2009
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