Check out this great article from Paul Grondahl at the Albany Times-Union about the Alaeis:

Forum a chance to urge freedom

Supporters of doctors jailed in Iran seek to rally support for their release

By PAUL GRONDAHL, Staff writer

First published: Friday, February 12, 2010

ALBANY — Dr. Kamiar Alaei, a University at Albany public health doctoral student and an internationally recognized AIDS physician, remains confined after 18 months in an Iranian prison with his brother, Arash, also an AIDS doctor.

On Monday, supporters will have an opportunity to press for their release during a session at the United Nations, which coincides with an appeal from the brothers’ lawyer and a lobbying campaign.

The brothers, who ran AIDS clinics in Iran for several years that offered treatment to IV drug users, were sentenced last year to 3 to 6 years on charges of plotting to overthrow the government after a one-day secret trial in December 2008. They were sent to Tehran’s notorious Evin prison and placed in solitary confinement for months.

The group organizing efforts to win the freedom of the Alaei brothers, Physicians for Human Rights, called the charges trumped-up and politically motivated. The group’s slogan is ”Treating AIDS is not a crime.”

“The Alaeis’ lawyer is hopeful about the appeal, but it’s important that people keep up the campaign to free the doctors because the human rights situation has gotten worse since the elections in June,” said Sarah Kalloch, director of outreach for Physicians for Human Rights.

The group is urging people to contact Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to press for the brothers’ release during the Monday session, at which she can question Iranian officials on the country’s human rights record as part of a U.N. review.

“We want Ambassador Rice to use that opportunity to question the Iranians on the status of the Alaeis because it’s very hard to get information on what’s happening to them,” Kalloch said.

Supporters of the AIDS doctors have been harnessing the power of social networking media such as Facebook and Twitter. They’re hoping to win their release through a large-scale, relentless public opinion campaign, which is credited with helping to win the freedom of journalists Roxana Saberi and Maziar Bahari, who were also held in prison in Tehran. Bahari is a Newsweek reporter and filmmaker from Montreal who made a documentary on the Alaei brothers. He was released from Evin prison last fall after four months, just in time to witness the birth of his first child.

“Maziar continues to be a strong advocate for the release of the Alaeis,” Kalloch said. “Social networking media was very important in his release and we hope use it to free the AIDS doctors.”

Paul Grondahl can be reached at 518-454-5623 or by e-mail at pgrondahl [at] timesunion [dot] com.

How to help

To urge Ambassador Susan Rice to press Iranian leaders for the release of the Alaei brothers during a Monday U.N. session, call her office at (212) 415-4062.

More about the campaign to win the AIDS doctors’ release can be found on the Background page, as well as earlier blog posts.

PHR sent letters to more than 20 countries urging their UN reps to ask about the Alaeis during the Universal Periodic Review. This is PHR’s direct letter to Ambassador Rice:

February 11, 2010

Amb. Susan Rice
U.S. Mission to the UN
via fax:  212-415-4053

Dear Ambassador Rice,

I am writing to you concerning the forthcoming seventh session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In this session, the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran will be reviewed under the UPR procedure on February 15.

I am hoping the US delegation in Geneva will be able to register early in the speaker’s list, to ask questions of the Iranian delegation regarding the massive crackdown on demonstrators protesting against unfair elections in June 2009, as well as the long list of cases of political prisoners, including many who were imprisoned even before the current unrest.

Physicians for Human Rights is gravely concerned about the case of Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei, two brothers in Iran who were known internationally for their work in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. In June 2008, on the eve of their departure to an international conference in Mexico on HIV/AIDS, the two physicians were arrested and charged with “communication with an enemy government” and “seeking to overthrow the government“ under Art. 508 of the Iran Islamic Penal Code. They were also tried on other, unspecified charges not made known to their lawyer or themselves and for which no evidence was produced.

Their only offense in fact had been traveling around the world and liaising with health workers to find solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. At a closed, one-day trial in December 2008 where they were denied due process and adequate defense, the brothers were sentenced to three and six years, respectively, and incarcerated in prison in Tehran. We fear for their health and their lives in the abusive Iranian prison system.

We also fear for the state of public health innovation in Iran. Iran can not equate public health diplomacy and the quest for shared solutions to the world’s collective disease burden to treason. It is a serious fallacy and a danger to the people of Iran to keep science stifled and dedicated medical professions in prison for doing their job.

Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei had close ties to the US because they had studied in the US for a time. Dr. Kamiar Alaei was — at the time of his arrest — a doctoral candidate at SUNY Albany School of Public Health. He received his masters in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2007, and was named a 2008 Asia 21 Fellow by the Asia Society in New York. Arash Alaei later joined his brother in New York for a study tour, during which time they worked with harm reduction and prison HIV groups across the state to share knowledge on HIV prevention innovations.

Since their arrest, the Alaeis’ colleagues and classmates have campaigned vigorously on their behalf, gaining the support of the American Medical Association.  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 recent weeks, there has been some indication that the Iranian government may be prepared to release some political prisoners. During this time when Tehran may be willing to make concessions, we urge you to use your good offices to ensure that the case of the Alaei brothers is included on the list of cases and ensure that their plight is remembered.

We hope that your delegation can find ways to mention the plight of the Alaei brothers in public questions and statements and in bilateral negotiations at the UN Human Rights Council. The case of these two doctors has been submitted to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, as they defended the right of HIV/AIDS patients to obtain access to health care and remain free of discrimination and persecution.

If you would like further information on Drs. Kamiar and Aresh Alaei, visit http://iranfreethedocs.org

Sincerely,

A.  Frank Donahue, CEO
Physicians for Human Rights

One year ago, Dr. Kamiar Alaei and his brother Dr. Arash Alaei were sentenced to prison in Iran. Iranian officials accused the brothers of using trips to AIDS conferences in the US and around the world to “foment a velvet revolution.” They were convicted on charges of communicating with an enemy government — the US — all because they reached out to scientists from around the world to help prevent HIV.

We say: Treating AIDS is not a crime.

(For more on the Alaeis’ story, see Background)

Now, the UN is reviewing Iran’s human rights record — and we need the US and other governments to stand up for the rights of these two Iranian physicians. Join us TODAY for a National Call-In Day to free Arash and Kamiar Alaei.

The UN Universal Period Review is a new mechanism that reviews the human rights record of every country, once every four years. Iran is up for review during the 7^th Session on the UPR, which runs Feb 8- 19, 2010.

Member states can pose questions to the Iranian delegation on February 15^th. Ask UN Ambassador Susan Rice to ask about the Alaei brothers, and to urge Iran to grant their appeal and release them. If you are not from the US, please convey similar requests to your UN representatives.

Call Ambassador Rice today at 212-415-4062 and use the following script. You have just 16 seconds: make them count!

Ambassador Rice, my name is ______ and I am from city/state or country. During the Universal Periodic review, please urge Iran to free Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei, who have been imprisoned in Iran since 2008. Treating AIDS is not a crime: please urge their release during the UPR this month.

PHR is sending formal letters to Ambassador Rice and other key UN representatives about the UPR and the Alaeis, which will give these leaders more details about Kamiar and Arash and their case, but we need you to add your voice to the call for their release.

Take part in the National Call-in Day today–16 seconds can make a big difference for Kamiar and Arash. Call Ambassador Rice today at 212-415-4062 — and tell six friends to do the same. We must tell Iran: Free the Alaeis. Treating AIDS is NOT a Crime!

Thanks to all of you for your continued support of the Alaeis. We are hearing good news out of Tehran: the Alaeis’ lawyer has filed another appeal and is hopeful that this one will be granted. Check out the article in the Boston Globe, also quoted below, for more details.

In the meantime, we are gearing up for action around the UN Universal Periodic Review, a mechanism that evaluates the human rights record of every country every four years. Iran will be reviewed February 15, 2010. We’ll need your help to make sure the Alaeis are on the agenda.

To highlight their case, we are organizing a National Call-in day next week — check back here for details on how you can contact UN Ambassador Susan Rice and urge her to ask the Iranian delegation about the Alaeis, and demand their release.

Lawyer says two Iranian doctors may soon be released on appeal

By Farah Stockman

Globe Staff / January 23, 2010

WASHINGTON – Two celebrated Iranian AIDS doctors with ties to Boston who were convicted in Iran of trying to overthrow the regime could soon be released from prison on appeal, according to their lawyer.

“Their case is very hopeful,’’ attorney Masoud Shafie said in a recent telephone interview from Iran.

Kamiar Alaei, who earned a master’s degree from the Harvard School of Public Health, and his brother, Arash Alaei, started a string of AIDS clinics in Iran and participated in the first State Department-funded exchange program with Revolutionary Iran in 2006, which included tours of medical facilities in Boston and meetings with Boston-area doctors.

Initially, the Iranian government appeared to support their work. But in June 2008, they were arrested and accused of “communications with an enemy government’’ and “seeking to overthrow the Iranian government.’’

In January 2009, after a one-day trial, Kamiar was sentenced to three years in prison and Arash was sentenced to six, according to Physicians for Human Rights, a Cambridge-based organization that has been petitioning for their release.

Thousands of people from around the world and hundreds from Boston’s medical community have organized events and written letters to push for their release, including former classmates at Harvard’s School of Public Health and the school’s dean, Barry R. Bloom.

“Their peers have kept their case in the news and on the front burner for human rights organizations, even though the human rights situation in Iran has gotten a lot more complex,’’ said Sarah Kalloch, director of outreach at Physicians for Human Rights.

Rumors of their release have been circulating for weeks.

In a recent telephone interview, Shafie, a prominent Iranian defense lawyer, said he launched an appeal “based upon the fact that America is not a hostile state and we are not at war with them.’’

The three-judge appeals panel accepted his request that the conviction be overturned, he said, and now he is waiting for final approval from the head of Iran’s judiciary, Sadeq Larijani.

It is unclear whether two others convicted with them – Silva Harotonian, a maternal health worker for an international organization, and Mohammad Ehsani, a filmmaker – will be released.

Media Contact:
Sarah Kalloch
Outreach Director
skalloch [at] phrusa [dot] org
+1-617-301-4235

——————————————————————————–

(Cambridge, MA) – One year ago this week, Iranian authorities arrested Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei, internationally renowned Iranian HIV/AIDS physicians, for practicing medicine. On this somber anniversary for friends, family and colleagues of the Alaeis, Iran is witnessing increasing violence and a litany of alleged human rights abuses. As post-election violence in Iran continues, PHR urges the Iranian government to protect the human rights of everyone within its borders and to respect both international law and human rights provisions in Iran’s own constitution.

In the aftermath of Iran’s presidential elections, held June 12, 2009, hundreds of people have been detained, including Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, a friend of the Alaeis, who directed a moving documentary in 2004 on their AIDS work, called Mohammad and the Matchmaker. Reports from Iran state that many demonstrators have been beaten, and some killed, while hundreds of others have been detained. The Iranian government has severely limited freedom of the press during this time, expelling foreign journalists and cutting off cell phone and internet access at various periods throughout the past two weeks. PHR is deeply concerned for the safety of everyone detained in Iran, including the Drs. Alaei.

On the one-year anniversary of their arrest, PHR renews our call to the Iranian government to release Arash and Kamiar Alaei so that they can continue their life-saving medical work in Iran and worldwide.

Background

After a perfunctory trial in December 2008, Kamiar and Arash were convicted of “communicating with an enemy government” and sentenced to three and six years, respectively, in Evin Prison in Tehran. The Alaeis’ crime: traveling the world and liaising with health workers across the globe to find solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Said Sarah Kalloch, Director of Outreach at PHR:

Iran can not equate public health diplomacy and the quest for shared solutions to the world’s shared disease burden to treason. It is a dangerous and maddening fallacy and a danger to the people of Iran to keep science stifled and scientists in jail.

Protect the Rights of All

PHR also urges Iranian authorities to protect the human rights of all people in Iran during this post-election crisis. The Iranian authorities must respect the right to free assembly that is articulated in both International Human Rights Law and in the Iranian Constitution.

PHR is also concerned about reports of alleged violations of Medical Neutrality by the Iranian government. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has reported that people seeking medical attention for injuries suffered during demonstrations are being arrested in hospitals, and that doctors are being forced to report to state security any injuries that appear to be related to protests.

This puts doctors in Iran in a desperate position: obey the state or care for their patients. Ms Kalloch continued:

The Iranian Government must allow health professionals to treat patients regardless of their political leanings. Doctors have an ethical duty to prevent and limit suffering of patients in their care and a duty to practice medicine in a neutral way without fear or favor.

The need for human rights protection for the Alaeis, for our colleague Mazier Bahari, and for all Iranians, has never been greater. The Iranian Government must respect the universal freedoms and rights of its people as recognized by the international community and the laws of Iran.

You may have seen reports from Iran about the detention of Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari. According to Reporters without Borders, he is one of over 20 journalists and bloggers detained since the June 12 elections.

But what you might not have seen is this amazing 2004 documentary Maziar Bahari directed for the BBC, Mohammad and the Matchmaker.

This 3-part film describes the innovative approach Drs Arash and Kamiar Alaei brought to their HIV/AIDS patients; moving beyond the traditional role of medical provider, providing social services to their patients and even helping them find love.

Please sign the petition and ask Iran to release the Drs Alaei so they can again take up their important work against HIV/AIDS.

I’ve been involved with PHR for quite some time now; first as an intern while an undergrad, as a founding member and leader of my Medical School student chapter, and now as a member of the Board of Directors. As a Muslim medical student, I was honored to be able to speak out on behalf of the Drs Alaei at the first rally we held at the Iranian Mission to the UN in September last year. It is with a heavy heart that I am compelled to continue to advocate for their release going on one year now.

The anniversary of Arash’s and Kamiar’s initial arrests and detention is coming up next week and it will be important for us to gain some attention on this unfortunate milepost. To do that we are in the process of collecting signatures from Muslim health professionals and organizations, as well as health professionals in predominantly Muslim countries, on a letter to the Head of the Iranian Judiciary. We will send a copy of this letter translated into Farsi on the Anniversary of Kamiar’s and Arash’s arrests next week. You can download a copy of the letter including signers to date in Arabic and English.

To make a powerful statement, we need many signatures on the letter, and I could use your help getting them.

Can you reach out to your network to contact Muslim health professionals and organizations and/or health professionals and organizations in predominantly Muslim countries?

I’ve written an email you can feel free to adapt to send to folks asking for their signatures. (English or Arabic) Ask your contacts to sign by emailing me at alikhan [at] phrusa [dot] org. You can sign the letter yourself by doing the same.

If you are on Facebook, please put a link to this post on your page to help us get the word out.

With your help, Drs Kamiar and Arash Alaei will soon be able to resume their lifesaving HIV/AIDS work.

On Friday, June 12, over thirty million Iranians went to the polls to vote in the country’s presidential election. Although the current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, claims victory by a significant margin, leading opposition candidate Mir Houssein Mousavi is challenging the results. The Ayatollah Ali Kahmenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader,  is calling for an investigation into election results and administration.

Protesters from both candidates’ camps have filled the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities since early election results were released. Post-election violence has brought increased attention from the media, Iranian authorities, and international leaders to election results. Human rights supporters are concerned about violence in Iran and hope that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s proposed inquiry into the election results is thorough and yields a just resolution.

It is of course unknown how these highly contested election results might affect the case of Doctors Arash and Kamiar Alaei, but supporters of the Alaeis are continuing to advocate for the brothers’ release, and are examining strategies for effectively targeting future action.

Read election updates and analysis from the New York Times or the Guardian (UK) to learn more.

The opposition candidates in the Iranian Presidential Election are using Facebook as a primary organizing tool to get elected.

We can use that fact to call on them to free Kamiar and Arash if either is elected. Take Action Now!

Post a message to their Facebook Pages asking them to release Kamiar and Arash. It’s really easy, here’s how:

• Go to the Facebook pages of:
  • Mir-Hossein Mousavi
  • Mehdi Karroubi

• Below the candidate’s photo on the left column, click the link that says “become a supporter”

• Click tab on top of page to go to their “Wall”
• Paste this message in the text box, just below where it says “Write Something…”

سرور گرامی،

من از شما می خواهم تادر مبارزات انتخاباتی خودبه مسئله پزشکان ایرانی،کامیاروآرش علایی توجه کنید.این دو پزشک از بزرگترین محققان بین المللی در زمینه پیشگیری و درمان بیماری ایدز می باشندودرژانویه سال2009،آنهابه جرم”ارتباط با دولت متخاصم” محکوم شدند.این اتهام بیپایه و نشانگر تلفیق ناعادلانه دیپلماسی بهداشت عمومی با خیانت به کشوراست.من از شما میخواهم تادر صورت انتخاب شدن به ریاست جمهوری،بلافاصله این پزشکان راآزادنمایید.اقدام به آزادی آنهارئوفت وشفقت اسلامی شمارابرای مردم ایران وجامعه جهانی نمایان خواهد کرد.

http://IranFreetheDocs.org

• Click the blue box labeled “Share”

• Once you are done, forward this message to all of your friends and colleagues on Facebook and ask them to take action too.

As June 22, the one-year anniversary of the Alaeis’ arrests, approaches, continued advocacy for their freedom becomes increasingly important. Take action today!

For more information on the Iranian Elections, check out this NYTimes article.

Here is the English translation of the letter to the Iranian Presidential Candidates.

Your Excellency,

As you campaign for the Iranian Presidency, I urge you to consider the case of Dr. Kamiar Alaei and Dr. Arash Alaei, international leaders in AIDS prevention and treatment who were tried and convicted on charges of “communicating with enemy governments” in January 2009. These charges are unfounded, and reflect an unjust conflation of public health diplomacy with treason. If elected, I urge you to immediately free the doctors. Working for the Alaeis’ freedom would allow you to demonstrate Islamic kindness and mercy to the people of Iran and to the international community.

In February, the American Medical Association sent a letter to Secretary of State Clinton regarding the Alaeis case:

The American Medical Association has become aware of a disturbing situation regarding two Iranian physicians, and we wish to bring your attention to this matter.

The AMA gave Secretary Clinton background on the case then went on to say:

We strongly urge that discussions of human rights, justice and respect for the medical profession (and the Alaei brothers specifically) must be part of any opening dialogue with Iran.

Jeffrey Feltman, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near East Affairs at the State Department, sent a response, writing:

The Department of State has been closely following the doctors’ cases and coordinating with human rights organizations who are actively working to advance their cause. The Department released a press statement in December marking the six month anniversary of their detainment. In February, the Department published the Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Iran, which discusses the case of the Alaei brothers in detail. In addition, the United States highlighted concerns about the lack of due process in Iran at the Human Rights Council’s Tenth Session in Geneva. I assure you that we will continue to monitor the welfare of the Alaei brothers and advocate on their behalf, both publicly and privately, until their release is secured, as we do in the cases of other prisoners of conscience in Iran and elsewhere.

The American Medical Association continued to advocate on behalf of the Alaeis. The group sent another letter to Secretary Clinton on June 2:

We appreciate the actions the Department of State has taken on behalf of Kamiar and Arash Alaei. We remain deeply troubled, however, by subsequent developments in the case and ongoing uncertainty about the welfare of these dedicated physicians who have worked to reduce the spread of HIV in their country.

The AMA asked Secretary Clinton to continue to push for the brothers’ release and reiterated its commitment to helping in any way possible.

Having the support of the AMA in our advocacy will bolster our message with US policy makers who sucessfully pressured Iran to release Roxana Saberi.  We are continuing our call for Drs Kamiar and Arash Alaei to be released under the same principles of Islamic kindness and mercy.  If you have not already, please sign our petition and forward it to 6 friends and colleagues.  Please also consider sending a letter to the Iranian Embassy in your country calling for their release.  With a united global movement, the Drs Alaei will be able to resume thier lifesaving HIV/AIDS work soon.

Amnesty International highlighted the imprisonment of the Alaei brothers in its annual report on the state of the world’s human rights. In a section on human rights in Iran, Amnesty International notes:

Brothers Arash and Kamiar Alaei, both medical doctors specializing in HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment, were arrested in June and detained without charge possibly because of their links with US-based NGOs and their criticism of government policy towards HIV and AIDs programmes. They faced an unfair trial on 31 December [2008], accused of having “co-operated” with an “enemy government” and seeking to overthrow the Iranian government. During the trial, the prosecutor told the court of additional, secret evidence which the brothers’ attorney had no opportunity to refute because the prosecutor did not disclose it.

This criticism of the Iranian government from a leading human rights research and advocacy organization puts additional pressure on Iranian authorities to free the Alaeis.

Amnesty International’s report emphasizes the toll the global economic crisis is taking on human rights. Financial Times included an interview Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Khan in an article on the recent release of the report:

“Underlying the economic crisis is an explosive human rights crisis. The economic downturn has aggravated abuses, distracted attention from them and created new problems,” Ms Khan said yesterday. “In the name of security, human rights were trampled on. Now, in the name of economic recovery, they are being relegated to the back seat.

“The world needs a new global deal on human rights – not paper promises but commitment and concrete action from governments to defuse the human rights time-bomb,” she said.

Don’t let the Alaeis’ freedom and the wellbeing of AIDS patients in Iran and around the world be forgotten in the midst of economic crisis. Take action today by signing the petition and/or writing a letter (sample letter) to the Iranian Embassy in your country calling for the release of the doctors.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Health from Guyana and the President of the 61st World Health Assembly, called for the Alaeis’ freedom in a speech given on May 18 at the 62nd World Health Assembly in Geneva. The World Health Assembly brings together health ministers from World Health Organization member states to act as the governing body for the WHO. Dr. Ramsammy told the assembled crowd:

In doing our work, we are blessed with having a make-up for compassion and mercy. Before I close I would like to extend an appeal for compassion and mercy. And I would like to urge we all join in this appeal. Two of my colleagues, our public health colleagues, are presently in prison. I appeal to the authorities in Iran to show mercy and justice to these two young public health professionals.

A few days later, on May 21, Dr. Ramsammy gave a keynote address at Collaborating Across Borders II, a conference devoted to furthering interprofessional education and collaboration between the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Ramsammy repeated his call for the Alaeis’ freedom before the health scholars, educators and practitioners gathered in Halifax:

Before I close, health is about compassion and justice. Health professionals have responded to a call for justice and compassion. Two of our brothers are in prison in Iran. I do not know the reason for their imprisonment. I do know they served their sisters and brothers and were dedicated health care professionals. I have joined a group called Physicians for Human Rights which is trying to lobby support for freedom for the Alaei Brothers. Join us in raising your voices so that the Government of Iran may examine this case and perhaps grant mercy so that these brothers could continue their work in public health.

Ramsammy used these two speeches to highlight the importance of equal healthcare for all during this time of global economic crisis. The Alaeis’ freedom would improve quality and availability of healthcare for countless Iranian AIDS patients.

As the one-year anniversary of the Alaeis’ arrest draws closer, continued advocacy for their release becomes increasingly important. Please sign our petition or send a letter (sample letter) to the Iranian embassy in your country calling for their freedom. Arash and Kamiar Alaei need your help to continue their live-saving work for patients in Iran and around the world.

We have slideshows of photos from the vigils at the UN in NYC and in Washington, DC. As we collect photos from other events around the world we will add them here. If you have photos from an event you attended, please send them to us by clicking the green “Add Files” button below.

[Note: Photo submissions are moderated, and there may be some delay before submissions appear in the slideshow. By uploading your photo, you give Physicians for Human Rights all rights to publish it on the World Wide Web and in print. We also reserve the right not to publish every submission we receive.]

The overwhelming show of support by hundreds of concerned individuals who rallied at Iranian embassies on Tuesday and called for the release of the Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei continues to captivate media attention.

Vigils for the Global Day of Action on behalf of the Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei were held Tuesday at the Iranian Interests Section in DC, the United Nations in New York and locations in 20 other countries. Radio Free Europe reports:

Vigils were held in such far-flung locations as Kabul and Rome, Bangkok and Buenos Aires, and Nairobi and New York City… Participants demanded the release of the doctors, saying that “treating AIDS is not a crime.” According to PHR, more than 5,000 people from 130 countries have so far signed an online petition demanding the release of the Alaei brothers.

The Kaiser Foundation’s Daily HIV/AIDS report quoted PHR’s Jonathan Hutson as he mentioned the similarities between the cases of the Drs. Alaei and that of Roxana Saberi, the Iranian-American journalist who was recently released:

Jonathan Hutson—a spokesperson for Physicians for Human Rights, which is leading a campaign for the brothers’ release—said, “The release of Ms. Saberi has shifted the world’s attention to the plight of others who are likewise jailed in Iran on trumped-up charges.”

The Alaeis were jailed in June 2008 on false charges of conspiracy to overthrow the Iranian government, allegations that stem from their collaboration with international health groups. Allafrica.com also quotes Hutson as saying:

This is not an issue of politics, but of global health. The only battle they were engaged in is the public health battle to prevent and treat the deadly epidemic of AIDS. They need to be allowed to return to their lifesaving work.

AIDS, health and human rights groups in 20 countries—the US, Mexico, Argentina, Guyana, Thailand, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Malaysia, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Germany, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Turkey–took action Tuesday to free the Alaeis.

• Thailand: The Thai Treatment Action Group met with the Iranian Ambassador to Thailand in Bangkok.
• Guyana: Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, the Minister of Health in Guyana and President of the World Medical Assembly, liaised with The Iranian Embassy in Venezuela to demand their release and garnered significant media coverage on the case in the Caribbean.
• Kenya: A PLWA group in Kenya sent a letter to the Iranian Embassy in Nairobi.
• Canada: The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network sent a letter to the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa and will involve their parliament in this case.
• Italy: MEDU in Italy talked to press in Rome and sent a statement to the Iranian Embassy in Italy.
• Turkey: The Turkish Medical Association alerted its members to the case.
• Netherlands: The International Federation of Health and Human Rights Organizations mobilized its members to sign the petition and sent a letter to the Iranian Embassy in the Netherlands
• Argentina: 10 leading health and human rights groups sent a letter tot he Iranian Ambassador in Buenos Aires demanding the Alaeis be released.
• Geneva: The Health Workforce Advocacy Initiative sent a statement urging the Alaeis’ release to the Iranian Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva

The World Medical Association, The EU, and The International AIDS Society have all called for the Alaeis release. Indeed, the scientific and medical community is rallying around Kamiar and Arash: Nature Magazine and the Lancet and the British Medical Journal have all condemned their conviction as a violation of scientific freedom.

The world is watching. Iran, Free the Docs!

We’ll continue to post statements and photos from events around the world; stay tuned!