AIDS activists
and brothers Arash and Kamyar Alaei were taken into
custody by Iranian security forces in late June, and
their whereabouts remain unknown, reports Human Rights
Watch. On June 22 security forces detained Arash
Alaei, holding him overnight at an unknown location.
The following
morning they accompanied him to his home, where they
arrested Kamyar Alaei while seizing material and
documents belonging to the brothers.
The authorities
have not yet announced why the brothers were detained or
whether they intend to bring any charges against them.
Moreover, they
have refused to disclose information about where the Alaei
brothers are being held and have not provided them access to
counsel.
"Iran's HIV/AIDS program has been acclaimed
internationally for seriously addressing the AIDS
epidemic," said Joe Amon, HIV/AIDS program director
at Human Rights Watch. "To fight AIDS effectively,
the government has realized that it must engage in
global efforts to combat the disease, work with civil
society, and confront taboo issues, including sex and
drugs. The detention without charges of the Alaei brothers
has a chilling effect on all of those
efforts."
For more than 20
years the Alaei brothers have been active in addressing
problems relating to drug use, with a focus on the spread of
HIV/AIDS, and have played a key role in putting these
issues on the national health care agenda.
Arash and Kamyar
Alaei have traveled to various countries, including the
United States, to participate in professional events and to
share their experiences regarding HIV/AIDS prevention
and treatment programs in Iran. (The Advocate)
