I came across a Knight Ridder article from 2006 today describing how Drs Kamiar and Arash got their start working on HIV/AIDS in Iran. (thanks to Icha for posting).

In 1997, the government tested for the virus among high-risk populations such as prisoners, truck drivers and patients with other infectious diseases. The highest rate of infection was in Iran’s prisons, one of which was in [Arash] Alaei’s hometown of Kermanshah, northwest of Tehran. Alaei was startled to learn that 400 cases had been detected there.

In 1999 he and his brother, Kamiar, had just finished their medical studies. They persuaded the nervous director of a local medical school to give them space for research.

“We had one room, the files of 400 infected prisoners and one office worker. We couldn’t even have a sign on the door,” Alaei recalled. “It was top secret.”

The article goes on to describe the compassion of the Drs Alaei when meeting AIDS patients, mostly recently released prisoners, for the first time:

“If they were released, their families had disowned them. In jail, other prisoners avoided them and prison workers who didn’t know about transmission just kept them in one room and rolled in a food cart for their meals,” Alaei said. “When we shook hands with them, they cried. Before that, everyone had rejected them.”

One of the most perplexing issues involving the unjust arrest, detention and conviction of the Doctors Alaei has been the fact that they operated their HIV/AIDS programs with the blessings of the Iran’s spiritual leaders from the very beginning.

It took 30 meetings just to create a slim AIDS-awareness handbook for Iran’s conservative high schools. A drawing of a condom disappeared early on; a photo of a syringe survived. A mention of sexual transmission was approved, but only with a reminder that sex before marriage is forbidden.

Even after the government’s wordsmiths were satisfied, AIDS workers in Tehran had to take the book south to the holy city of Qom, the spiritual center of Iran’s all-powerful clergy. To everyone’s surprise, the clerics endorsed it.

As the anniversary of the arrests of Drs Kamiar and Arash Alaei draws near next month, we continue to advocate for their release.  Please sign our petition and/or send a letter(sample letter here) to the Iranian Embassy in your country to call for their release. With your help, Kamiar and Arash will be able to continue their lifesaving work for the people of Iran and the world.