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

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.

Clint Trout was a classmate of Dr Kamiar Alaei while a student at Harvard School of Public Health.  Clint describes Kamiar as a true cultural ambassador who shared his love of Iran and Persian culture with fellow students.

If you are a friend or colleague of Drs Kamiar or Arash Alaei and would like to post a video please contact us.

Doctors Arash and Kamiar Alaei came to New York over 5 years ago to learn from our drug treatment, harm reduction and HIV services. They tirelessly visited numerous clinics and services engaging the physicians and other service providers in discussions about patient care.

They came here to learn but they taught us as well.  The triangle model of harm reduction, drug treatment and HIV treatment is unique; it is recognized as a best practice by the World Health Organization and the brothers were surprised to learn that we have no similar services in New York.  They made strong impressions on all who came into contact with them, as their thoughtfulness and dedication to their patients was so apparent. These men have helped to bridge the gulf between Iran and the United States in developing professional relationships and friendships.

Kamiar enrolled in the doctoral program at Albany State University and we had planned to work together on an overdose prevention project so that he could bring this service back to Iran.

In addition to continuing their work in Iran they have been able to bring an Islamic perspective on HIV and substance use to other countries such as Tajikistan and Afghanistan where they have offered courses and symposia. They are world leaders in this area and I still hope someday to work with them in Islamic communities in East Africa where drug use has added to the burden of HIV.

But for now, all of this has been halted since Kamiar and Arash have been imprisoned on charges that have no bearing on the reality of their work. They have worked transparently to better the lives of people with HIV and substance use- people who are stigmatized and marginalized all over the world. Because of their work the world is a better place. We are calling on the Iranian government to free Arash and Kamiar Alaei so that they may return to their families and to their work. Colleagues and friends in 125 countries around the world join us in this call. Arash and Kamiar are our colleagues but for many of us they are our friends. It is unthinkable that they are imprisoned; it brings many of us pain daily. Please continue to speak out for Kamiar and Arash Alaei. We need these brilliant and caring physicians back among the ranks of those providing humanitarian and innovative care for people with HIV and substance abuse. They are irreplaceable.

The vigils in New York and in D.C. drew broadcast media attention from the BBC, Washington TV, NPR; a number of media outlets also covered the efforts of PHR and our allies after the fact.

The Albany Times-Union’s Paul Grondahl quoted PHR’s Jonathan Hutson connecting the case of the recently-released journalist Roxana Saberi and the Drs. Alaei, who remain detained despite being arrested on similarly false charges.

“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,” said Jonathan Hutson, spokesman for Physicians for Human Rights, the group leading the campaign for the Alaei brothers’ release.
“We are asking Iran to show Islamic kindness and to free these doctors,” Hutson said.

A blog post in Nature magazine also highlighted the similarities between the two cases. The Alaeis were charged with cooperating with a hostile state for their participation in U.S. health conferences.

Saberi’s conviction for “cooperating with a hostile state” was overthrown on the grounds that the United States is not hostile to Iran, according to an editorial in the Boston Globe. The reversal has diplomatic overtones, writes the Globe, which should also apply to the doctors.

An article in the Inter-Press Service describes how the Alaeis were jailed for no cause other than working with international colleagues while expanding AIDS treatment in Iran, a feat for which they were once recognized by the World Health Organization.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), which organised the protest, says that the doctors are only guilty of sharing their knowledge and expertise as HIV physicians. “The Alaei brothers were arrested for doing good medicine,” Peter Witzler from PHR told IPS.

Even behind bars, Arash and Kamiar Alaei are continuing their work. They have volunteered to work as physicians in Tehran’s Evin Prison hospital, and are assisting local staff in treating patients with HIV and tuberculosis.

Washington TV interviewed PHR Washington Director John Bradshaw at the scene of the D.C. vigil at the Iranian Interests Section for a video report.

John Bradshaw, director of PHR, said that the Alaeis were arrested only for their work with the international medical community.

“Just for doing that, for having contact with outsiders, the regime arrested them and said they were trying to overthrow the government – and it’s really an illegitimate charge,” he told Washington TV.

The doctors’ first appeal was denied, and last week their lawyer filed their final appeal. We hope that our combined global efforts yesterday have made an impact on Iranian policymakers as they evaluate the Alaeis’ case for the final time. Thank you to everyone who took part at Iranian Embassies around the world or online at our virtual vigil, for making Global Alaei Day a huge success.

Next week, May 12 will be an international day of solidarity for the Drs Alaei. People all over the world will stand up and say with one voice that “Treating AIDS is Not a Crime.”

Vigils are taking place in more than 16 countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Turkey, Argentina, Mexico and the United States. You can participate in this international day of solidarity with the Alaeis no matter where you are.

• Send a letter to the Iranian Embassy in your Country, release a statement from your organization or mail a letter to an Iranian policy-maker on May 12. Here is a sample letter and statement you can use, including addresses for some Iranian policy-makers.
• If you are in Washington DC or New York City, join one of our vigils. See these blog posts for all of the details for the vigils in NYC or DC.
• Join our Virtual Vigil for the Alaeis on May 12 from 11am-1pm EST (GMT -4:00). We will be streaming live video from the vigil locations in NYC and DC. You’ll also be able to chat with PHR organizers and other participants from around the world.
• Organize a vigil at the Iranian Embassy in your Country or some other location in your community. You can send us video and photos and even stream your vigil live to the world through our website.
• Sign our new petition asking the Head of the Iranian Judiciary to drop the charges and ask friends and colleagues to sign the petition.

Let us know you are participating in the Day of Action for the Alaeis by filling out this simple webform.

Kristen Elisabeth Solberg quotes PHR’s Jonathan Hutson:

“Public health will suffer in Iran and around the world,” said Jonathan Hutson, chief communications officer of US-based Physicians for Human Rights. “Training people in public health work, engaging with international non-governmental organizations, and attending conferences abroad are not crimes but good medicine”, said Hutson.

Solberg also notes that the convictions could be part of an Iranian government crackdown against Western ties, even when such collaboration brings about scientific advancement. Previously, Iran’s religious and government leaders had publicly approved of the Doctors Alaei’s development of harm reduction programs.

The conviction could signal a shift on HIV/AIDS; a warning against ties with the West; or a crackdown on activists ahead of June presidential elections, advocates say. Some campaigners remain hopeful that Iran’s government will respond to the international outcry from health professionals and release the brothers.

Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei have been detained since June 2008 in Tehran’s Evin prison. On Dec. 31, 2008, they were sentenced to six and three years’ imprisonment respectively, for “cooperating with an enemy government.” PHR has led the campaign to call for the Alaei doctors’ release.

Dr. Blachar expressed concern that the Alaeis’s secretive trial did not allow them to refute government charges that their international AIDS work amounted to communication with an enemy government.

Like Amnesty International, we consider them prisoners of conscience, as they appear to havebeen imprisoned solely in relation to their work with international and specifically US institutions in the field of HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment.

We are deeply concerned that Dr Arash Alaei and Dr Kamiar Alaei were tried on 31 December in proceedings that fell far short of international standards for fair trial, as the evidence against them was not fully disclosed to the two men and their defence, and they did not have the right to call and examine witnesses.

In addition, Dr. Blachar urges Iranian authorities to respect the human dignity of the doctors until their release is secured.

We are therefore asking for the immediate release of Arash and Kamiar Alaei, as their imprisonment appears to be politically motivated and related to their international contacts in the context of their work on HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment.

We are also calling on the authorities to ensure that Dr Arash Alaei and Dr Kamiar Alaei are not tortured or otherwise ill‐treated. WMA condemns strongly torture as a flagrant violation of human dignity and human rights that cannot be justified under any political, military, religious or other cause.

Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei have been detained since June 2008 in Tehran’s Evin prison. On Dec. 31, they were sentenced to six and three years’ imprisonment respectively, for “cooperating with an enemy government.” Prior to their arrest, they orchestrated Iran’s first harm reduction programs,  spoke at health conferences globally and trained doctors in their region.

PHR’s Sarah Kalloch speaks both on the false accusations against the Alaeis and their important harm reduction work in a recent interview with Public Radio International:

The world needs the expertise coming out of Iran in terms of harm reduction programs.  Iran has the best programs on this in the world.  The United States needs information on this, Russia, all over the world we need their expertise.  And to imprison Kamiar and Arash for sharing their expertise, for sharing scientific knowledge coming out of Iran is really tragic.

There are certainly a great number of Iranian physicians and nurses and medical personnel who are doing great work.  And the Alaeis’ are part of a wonderful system; however what we are afraid of is that this arrest will put a chilling effect on every kind of public health exchange coming out of Iran.  And in fact, some of the most renowned world leaders on HIV/AIDS have spoken out in support of the Alaeis and have encouraged Iran to release them.

According to the authors, the jailing of Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei for their engagement with Western doctors shows a disregard for “the value of scientific curiosity that President Obama hailed in his inauguration speech.”

Dr. Kamiar Alaei was doing research and providing treatment for a disease that Iranian propagandists can barely acknowledge. A nation where the president himself insists that homosexuality doesn’t exist and where discussion of sex, drugs and AIDS comes so uneasily can be a hostile place for people like Dr. Alaei, who has helped to establish Iran’s first HIV/STD and drug-use prevention and care center.

Still, there’s no evidence that we’re aware of that Dr. Alaei was conspiring against the Islamic system of government, as he’s now been convicted of doing. What seems more likely is that an Iranian citizen who had been studying in the United States is a victim of injustice.

The editorial argues that the announcing of the Alaeis’ years-long jail sentences just before the inauguration was a power play by Iranian officials.

Such a belligerent tone continues to this day, with a shrill warning to the Obama administration to stop spying on Iran.

In an era of AIDS and other complex diseases, medical knowledge sharing across borders could potentially save lives and break new ground in treatment methods. Instead, the jailing of the Alaies for working with doctors globally only serves to heighten U.S.-Iran tensions.

What Tehran calls an intelligence war is actually a confrontation over human rights and fair play. Ending the tensions will be daunting and complicated.

Reducing them, though, will be altogether easier. Iran must explain to the world why Kamiar Alaei and Arash Alaei belong in the dungeon known as Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Dr. Kamiar Alaei is a PhD student at SUNY Albany. He and his brother Arash were instrumental in developing some of Iran’s first harm-reduction programs for HIV/AIDS patients. They have been detained since June of 2008, and their sentences were handed down earlier this month.