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MARCO WERMAN: Two years ago we brought you a story about two Iranian brothers. The brothers Kamiar and Arash Alaei are doctors and together they have shaken up Iran's HIV/AIDS program. Their programs focus on needle transmission, but also they deal with sexual issues.

KAMIAR ALAEI: We have not to judge about our clients. We ask them, "If you have sex it is better that you have safe sex, so we don't judge who is your partners, it is homosexual or heterosexual."

ARASH ALAEI: They are coming anonymously. We don't need their I.D. and we have hotline for their questions.

WERMAN: Those are the brothers speaking with me here in Boston September of 2006. Their work has given Iran one of the best AIDS prevention and treatment programs in the world according to the World Health Organization. Today however they're in jail according to human rights groups. On December 31st the brothers were charged with seeking to overthrow the Iranian government. Sarah Kalloch is a spokesperson for Physicians for Human Rights. And first of all, Sarah, are you sure it is them, the brothers, who are arrested? These two individuals, how do you know for sure?

KALLOCH: We have it on very reliable resources out of Iran that these are the Alaeis.

WERMAN: And Iran is alleging they tried to overthrow the State, how precisely?

KALLOCH: Iran has charged that they were trying to foment a velvet revolution through some of their international travel work. So they have cited some of their trips to AIDS conferences around the world as not a mode of public health outreach, but in fact as a way to recruit people to overthrow the government.

WERMAN: Is it true, did they do it?

KALLOCH: Physicians for Human Rights believes that they are absolutely innocent of these charges as do the thousands of people around the world who have worked with them. They are, in fact, the most incredible ambassadors and diplomats for Iran. They love their country, they celebrate the food and the culture and the history and especially the dance. I heard Arash is a very good dancer. And so we believe these to be patently false and in fact their lawyer has not had access to much of the evidence that the government is claiming in this case.

WERMAN: The Alaei doctors have been working openly for years to stem the spread of HIV in Iran and often it seemed that they pushed the envelope of propriety, at least in the eyes of the Iranian government. Contradicting Iranian government statements that homosexuality doesn't exist in the country, positing the intravenous drug use in the country. Is it possible that the Iranian government just finally got tired of all this publicity?

KALLOCH: We think, and we hope that the Iranian government should in fact be incredibly thrilled by the work that they have done. They have put Iran on the map in terms of HIV prevention and treatment.

WERMAN: And why now? I mean, after all the Alaei brothers have been traveling to the United States for years. Dr. Kamiar Alaei received a Master of Science degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. He's a doctoral candidate at SUNY, Albany, so why now?

KALLOCH: Yeah, we have no idea what this timing means, but we think it's incredibly unfortunate. The world needs the expertise coming out of Iran in terms of harm reduction programs. Iran has the best programs on this in the world. The United States needs information on this, Russia, all over the world we need their expertise. And to imprison Kamiar and Arash for
sharing their expertise, for sharing scientific knowledge coming out of Iran is really tragic.

WERMAN: So what's next for them? When can we expect a verdict and what is the punishment for these charges?

KALLOCH: The international community, especially the public health community and the thousands of people around the world who love Arash and Kamiar and who are fighting for them, we have been waiting for a verdict since December 31st. Right now it is technically the weekend in Iran so we don't expect one today, but we are waiting. In terms of a sentence these charges can come with quite severe sentences including death.

WERMAN: And do you have any sense of what's happening to Iran's HIV/AIDS program right now while the brothers are in jail? Has it suffered at all?

KALLOCH: I don't know, there are certainly a great number of Iranian physicians and nurses and medical personnel who are doing great work. And the Alaeis' are part of a wonderful system; however what we are afraid of is that this arrest will put a chilling effect on every kind of public health exchange coming out of Iran. And in fact, some of the most renowned world leaders on HIV/AIDS have spoken out in support of the Alaeis and have encouraged Iran to release them.

WERMAN: Sarah Kalloch, a spokesperson with Physicians for Human Rights. Thank you very much.

KALLOCH: Thank you.

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