By Paul Grondahl, Times-Union
Languishing for years as political prisoners in an Iranian jail on sham charges of attempting to overthrow the government, brothers Dr. Kamiar Alaei and Dr. Arash Alaei endured harsh treatment because they found hope in the act of learning and teaching. The imprisoned medical doctors, pioneers in the treatment of HIV and AIDS in repressive regimes, scrounged up old textbooks, organized classes and spread a feeling of optimism inside the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. Despite shackles and bars, their minds remained unfettered. Now, the Alaeis, who are the recipients of international humanitarian awards, are paying it forward. With the help of colleagues at UAlbany — where the brothers created the Global Institute for Health and Human Rights — they’ve developed an online program of science classes in Arabic for former medical students in war-torn Syria.
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