Iran Detains Two Leading HIV/AIDS Experts

Dr. Kamiar Alaei, one of two brothers who have worked closely with the Asia Society on HIV/AIDS programmes and are now being detained in Iran.

UNITED NATIONS – / MaximsNews Network / 16 July 2008 — Asia Society today expressed its deep concern regarding confirmed reports that two Iranian nationals who are part of Asia Society’s Young Leaders Program have been detained in Iran by Iranian authorities; Drs. Arash and Kamiar Alaei are leading Iranian experts on HIV/AIDS who have pioneered HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment activities in Iran.

Both Alaei brothers have worked closely with Asia Society on HIV/AIDS awareness activities throughout the Asia-Pacific region for years, and both are participants in Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Program.

Dr. Kamiar Alaei was selected by Asia Society among leaders from across the Asia-Pacific as a 2008-2009 Asia 21 Fellow.

“Asia Society is deeply concerned about the apparent detention by Iranian authorities of Drs. Arash and Kamiar Alaei, who are both leading figures in the HIV/AIDS community and Asia Society Young Leaders,” said Asia Society Chairman Richard C. Holbrooke.

Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl, who has worked closely with the Alaei brothers, is actively pursuing this matter with appropriate officials and partner organizations.

Dr. Kamiar Alaei is a doctoral candidate at the SUNY Albany School of Public Health who is expected to resume his studies in Albany this fall. He holds a Masters degree in International Health from Harvard University.

His brother Arash is the former Director of the International Education and Research Cooperation of the Iranian National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

Since 1998, Alaei and his brother, Kamiar, have been carrying out programs dealing with HIV/AIDS and the Harm Reduction of Drugs in the war-torn province of Kermanshah, on the West Coast of Iran.

Since 1986, the Alaei brothers have worked on an ongoing project that seeks to integrate issues concerning the prevention and care of HIV/AIDS, STI, and Drug-Related Harm Reduction into the National Health Care system.

In addition to their work in Iran, the Alaei brothers hold training courses for Afghan and Tajik medical workers and have worked to encourage regional cooperation among 12 Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries.

They have appeared widely in the international media, including on the BBC, the Washington Post, Knight Ridder and other outlets.

About the Asia Society and the Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative Asia Society is the leading Asia-Pacific organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders and institutions of the United States and Asia.

The Society seeks to increase knowledge and enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of policy, business, education, arts and culture.

Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonprofit educational institution with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai and Washington, D.C. More about Asia Society can be found on the organization’s web site at www.AsiaSociety.org.

Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative is the leading cross- sectoral leadership development program in the Asia-Pacific region. The program brings together the most dynamic emerging leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region to develop shared, innovative approaches to the region’s greatest challenges. For more information, see http://www.asiasociety.org/asia21/.

http://www.maximsnews.com/news20080716asiasocietyfellowsiran10807160104.htm

Chang Kun
13810726838
13520554525
010-51917981

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Date:  Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:01:51 -0400
From:  changkunchina@ . . .
Subject: AIDS Rights: Iran Detains Two Leading HIV/AIDS Experts

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 Dear friends and colleagues,

First of all we would like to thank those of you who have already endorsed the *Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever* declaration published by the Open Society Institute’s Law and Health Initiative, which outlines why law and human rights should occupy the center of the global HIV/AIDS struggle and highlights that universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support will never be achieved without much greater action on HIV/AIDS and human rights.

Over 400 organizations have already endorsed the declaration, but we are hoping at least *another 100 organizations *will have endorsed the declaration by July 28, 2008. The endorsement campaign will culminate in a rally for human rights at the 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico on August 7, 2008.

*Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever Declaration***

To allow us to reach this goal, we would like to ask you to circulate this message among other organizations you work with, encouraging them to take a couple of minutes to submit their  organization’s endorsement of the declaration “Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever”. And if your organization has not yet endorsed the declaration, we are asking you to do so as soon as possible. Please note that at this time we welcome the endorsements on behalf of organizations rather than individuals.

*Download the declaratio* <http://download%20the%20declaratio/>*n:*

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/law/articles_publications/publications/human_20071017

*Endorse the declaration* <http://endorse%20the%20declaration/>*: ** www.soros.org/endorsehumanrights** *(this page is in English only, but endorsing the declaration is very easy and requires only very little knowledge of English). 

*International Rally for Human Rights and HIV/AIDS***

In addition to seeking additional organizational endorsements for the declaration, we invite all those who will attend the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City to participate in the first international rally for human rights and HIV/AIDS.

Participants will gather at 1:30 PM on Thursday, 7 August, in the space in front of the main stage in the conference’s Global Village, to demand human rights for all people living with and at risk of HIV, as well as vastly greater attention to human rights in the response to HIV. Among those who will give keynote presentations and/or to receive a copy of the human rights declaration with the list of endorsements are: Mary Robinson (Executive Director of the Ethical Globalization Initiative and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland), Peter Piot (UNAIDS Executive Director), and Michel Kazatchkine (Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria).

*More info about the rally: **www.soros.org/marchforhumanrights*

*”Human Rights & HIV/AIDS: Now More than Ever” Networking Zone ***

Finally, during the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, exciting events (including hot topic debates, sessions during which rapporteurs will summarize the key human rights events of the day, human rights campaigns, and much more) will take place every day in the Human Rights Networking Zone, located in the conference’s Global Village in *networking zone 421*, right beside the entrance to the food court.

The goal of the Networking Zone is to bring together HIV and human rights organizations to maximize visibility of the human rights concerns of people living with and at high risk of HIV, and to catalyze action on HIV and human rights.

Through this communication, *we would like to extend a special invitation to you to participate in actions and events at the zone.  *We hope the zone will reflect the diversity and talents of the conference itself, recognizing that all those living with HIV and at most risk — whether women, gay or bisexual men, prisoners, people who use drugs, or sex workers – share a history of human rights abuse and neglect.

*Delegates Guide to Human Rights at AIDS 2008*

The full program of the Human Rights Networking Zone will become available within the next weeks, together with the *Delegates’ Guide to Law and Human Rights at AIDS 2008*, providing detailed information about all events at the conference with a focus on law and human rights. Please check out our website at www.soros.org/networkforhumanrights for a copy.

* *

*Many thanks in advance for your interest and support! Please circulate this note widely, encourage other organizations to also demand greater attention to human rights in the fight  against HIV by endorsing the declaration and joining the rally, and participate in the events in the  Human Rights Networking Zone (Global Village, #421).*
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Devote my life to the AIDS prevention and care work£¡

Chang Kun
13810726838
13520554525
010-51917981
MSN changkun2008@msn.com
Skype:chinachangkun
QQ:582765214
http://www.yirenping.org
http://www.aidsmuseum.net/index.php/Changkun
http://blog.sina.com.cn/changkun
China AIDS Museum http://www.aidsmuseum.cn
China AIDS Group:http://www.chinaaidsgroup.org
AIDS Rights:http://www.aidsrights.net
http://www.aidswiki.cn

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Date: 2008-7-18 13:18
From: lawandhealth
Subject: Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever – AIDS 2008