Monday, August 18, 2008

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Your Excellency:

I am writing to express the concern of the New York Academy of Sciences' Committee on Human Rights of Scientists for the well-being of two Iranian physicians, Drs. Arash Alaei and Kamiar Alaei. Our understanding is that the doctors were arrested without charge in June and no information has been released about the arrest or where the doctors are being detained.

We are seeking assurances they are granted regular access to their family and are provided legal counsel; that they are not being tortured or ill-treated in detention. We appeal to your government to disclose their whereabouts, and either release them immediately or have them tried for a recognizable offense under conditions meeting fair trial standards.

For more than 20 years, these doctors have played a key role in putting HIV/AIDS on the national health care agenda in Iran. They have worked closely with government, religious leaders and neighboring countries to support prevention and treatment programs. Neither of the men is known to have any involvement in political activities.

The New York Academy of Sciences, founded in 1817, has more than 25,000 members in more than 140 countries. The Academy is an independent, non-profit scientific and educational organization committed to advancing science and engineering; as well as applying science and technology for the public good. The Committee on Human Rights of Scientists of the New York Academy of Sciences actively pursues the advancement of basic human rights for our colleagues throughout the world. The Committee uses the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, as guidelines for its human rights activities.

I respectfully await your response to our inquiry.

Sincerely,

Henry Greenberg
Chair of the Committee on Human Rights of Scientists