Doctor Arash Alaei and Doctor Kamiar Alaei, two well-known Iranian physicians and HIV/AIDS leaders, were detained in June 2008 by Iranian authorities. The physicians, who are brothers, were held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison for over six months without charges or trial. On December 31, 2008, a one-day, closed-door trial was held, in which the brothers were tried as conspirators working with an “enemy government” to overthrow the government of Iran. They were also tried at that time on unspecified other charges which neither they nor their lawyer were allowed to know, see the evidence of, or address.

On January 19, 2009, the Doctors Alaei were convicted and sentenced under charges of being in “communications with an enemy government” and “seeking to overthrow the Iranian government under article 508 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code”. Kamiar was sentenced to three years and Arash was sentenced to six.

The Alaeis’ crime: traveling the world and liaising with health workers across the globe to find solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The government used the doctors’ travel to international AIDS conferences as a basis for this charge — a dangerous conflation of public health diplomacy with treason that will harm Iran’s ability to be a worldwide medical leader and protect its people from disease and death.

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Doctor Arash Alaei and Doctor Kamiar Alaei have played a role in putting the issues of drug use and HIV/AIDS on Iran’s national health care agenda. They have worked closely with government and religious leaders to ensure support for education campaigns on HIV transmission, including those targeting youth, and for HIV and harm reduction programs in prisons.

Since completing their medical training, the brothers have worked in AIDS research in Iran, and along with other clinicians and advocates, helped make the country a leader in prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS. They played a part in the creation of Iran’s HIV/AIDS prison program, one of the best in the region if not the world. The program passes out condoms and syringes in the prisons, one of only a handful of countries globally doing so. The doctors have also shared their knowledge with neighboring countries by holding training workshops for Afghan and Tajik health professionals.

At the time of their arrest, Kamiar was studying for his doctorate in public health at the State University of New York’s University at Albany School of Public Health, and both doctors were working with organizations in New York to share ideas on HIV and harm reduction best practices.

Since their arrest, the Alaeis’ colleagues and classmates have campaigned vigorously on their behalf, gaining the support of the World Medical Association, the American Medical Association, the International AIDS society and more. Together with other doctors in dozens of countries around the world they have been organizing Global Days of Action and contacting Iranian embassies to press for the release of the Alaei brothers. The New York Academy of Sciences also gave the Alaei brothers the 2009 Heinz R. Pagels Human Rights of Scientists Award in honor of their work and their struggle for freedom.

Family, friends, and colleagues from around the world are deeply concerned for the brothers’ well-being. We urge you to take action today to ensure their human rights are protected and they are reconnected with their family.