Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei need your help. After being held without charge for over 6 months last year, Arash and Kamiar were subjected to a perfunctory, one-day trial in December 2008. They were charged with communicating with an enemy state and with other secret charges which neither they nor their attorney were allowed to see evidence for or address. Arash and Kamiar were sentenced to 6 and 3 years in prison, respectively, on what we believe are politically motivated and illegitimate charges leveled in a patently unfair court proceeding.

On April 6th, the Alaei's lawyer received notification that his initial appeal was denied, after being reviewed for less than 24 hours. The Alaeis have one month from that date to file an appeal under Article 18 of Iran's constitution.

PHR and a coalition of groups from around the world continue to work to free the Alaeis, and you can help. Please sign this updated petition, which urges the Supreme Leader of Iran, the President of Iran and the Head of Iran's Judiciary to release the Alaeis, today.

We are organizing a global day of action for the Alaeis on May 12. This petition is one way for you to get involved—your participation will make a major difference in the Alaeis' lives and in the lives of people with HIV in Iran.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to urge Iran to immediately release Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei - two prominent Iranian HIV/AIDS physicians imprisoned since June 2008 - and to drop all charges against them.

The Alaeis were tried in December 2008 on charges of communicating with an "enemy government" in Tehran's Revolutionary Court. The court also informed the brothers there were additional secret charges which the brothers' attorney had no opportunity to examine or refute. They were convicted of these charges on 19 January. Their attorney filed an appeal February 9, 2009. The Court in Iran opened the appeal March 18th, 2009, and denied the brothers' appeal one day later on March 19th, 2009.

Their lawyer was informed of the court's decision on April 6, 2009, and has one month to appeal this sentence under Article 18 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The publicly-announced charges are illegitimate and without credible foundation, and the case is marked by clear violations of due process. This case also sends an ominous signal regarding the Iranian Government's crackdown on international scientific exchange that could negatively impact public health in Iran. I urge Iran to overturn this conviction and free these brothers immediately so that they can continue their life-saving work for the benefit of the people of Iran and the world.

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 in the fall of 2008. In 2007, he received a Master of Science degree in Population and International Health from the Harvard School of Public Health.

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.

Treating AIDS is not a crime. Iran's people need the Doctors Alaei to be allowed to continue their life-saving work. Please grant the the Alaeis' appeal and overturn the unfair verdict against them so they can return to saving lives in Iran.

Signed by:

Campaign Launched:
April 30, 2009