Iran has captured the attention of harm reduction activists worldwide for its surprisingly progressive policies on syringe exchange and drug treatment, designed to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among injection drug users.

Now, two doctors who are deeply involved in HIV prevention and treatment work have been arrested and are believed to be detained in Evin Prison in Tehran. Dr. Arash Alaei and his brother, Dr. Kamiar Alaei, are known internationally for their efforts to raise the profile of HIV/AIDS issues with the Iranian government, and for their roles in creating harm reduction programs for prisoners and young people.

Arash Alaei was slated to speak at the International AIDS Conference earlier this month in Mexico City. But on June 22, he was arrested by Iranian police. The following day they took his brother Kamiar, seizing documents from both brothers.

Since President Ahmadinejad took office in 2005, he has withdrawn support for Iran’s highly respected syringe exchange projects promoted by Arash and Kamair, initiatives hailed by the United Nations as “courageous” and “visionary.”

Six weeks after the brothers’ detainment, Tehran officials released a statement about them:

“They held conferences on such topics as AIDS, which drew the attention of domestic and foreign organizations and NGOs,” and “they would organize foreign trips for people and train them. They were aware of what they were doing, and their training was of the nature of a velvet revolution.”

Supporters of drug policy reform and harm reduction around the world can support the brothers by calling on the Iranian government to release the Drs. Alaei. Sign a petition being circulated by Physicians for Human Rights at IranFreetheDocs.org.  And if you’re on Facebook, join the  groupfounded by one of Kamiar’s colleagues at Harvard to support the brothers.

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