Our Appeal has succeeded: The World Medical Association confirms the release of Dr Adel Hussein

Dear all
I congurelate you and myself. In response to my email of 3rd December to the World Medical Association (WMA), which works in collaboration with Amnesty International, today I have received an email from the WMA (see below) confirming the release of Dr Adel Hussein on 8th December. We, however, still do not have much information about the conditions surrounding his release and whether the release is a final one or whether he would be going back to court for sentencing. In any case, we should continue, I suggest, our appeal until we make sure that his release is full and unconditional, that he be allowed to practise medicine again and continue his journalistic work without any restriction or harassment. Further, we still appeal that he be compensated for the damage he has sustained.

The Emails:
FW: The jailing sentence of the Iraqi doctor Adel Hussein‏
From: Clarisse Delorme ([email protected])
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Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 4:13:09 PM
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Dear Dr Alrubaie,

Thank you for your email drawing our attention on the situation of Dr Hussein.
You are probably informed by now that Dr Hussein has been released on the 8th of December further to an action from Amnesty International.
Best regards

Clarisse Delorme
Advocacy advisor
World Medical Association
13 chemin du Levant
Bâtiment A
01210 Ferney-Voltaire, France
Tel: +33 450 42 67 61
Fax: +33 450 40 59 37
www.wma.net


The World Medical Association (WMA) is the global federation of National Medical Associations representing the millions of physicians worldwide. Acting on behalf of patients and physicians, the WMA endeavors to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care, ethics, education and health-related human rights for all people.



------ Message transféré
De : Talal Alrubaie >
Date : Wed, 3 Dec 2008 22:29:53 +0000
À : WMA >
Objet : The jailing sentence of the Iraqi doctor Adel Hussein

Dear colleagues
I am an Iraqi psychiatrist and sexologist living abroad. I am writing to you with respect of the 6-month imprisonment sentence, issued on the 24th November 2008, against Dr. Adel Hussein by the court in Arbil-Iraq. Dr Hussein is serving this sentence now in the Central Prison in Arbil.
Dr Hussein is a specialist in genital medicine and a journalist, working in the Iraqi Kurdistan. He was accused of allegedly encouraging homosexuality in an article he had published in a local newspaper. This doctor has put his patients’ interest first and is strongly committed to increasing health awareness and the promotion of health care by, for example, writing articles in newspapers and by appearing on TV shows in Iraq. This sentence is inconsistent with the current Iraqi constitution that stipulates the respect of human rights. Further, this sentence is in violation of the law in Iraqi Kurdistan that prohibits the imprisonment of journalists. I have already written to the Iraqi Health Minster and to the Iraqi Medical Association and other organisations to protest against this sentence and to indicate the total lack of scientific evidence for the allegation on which the sentence was based, that is, encouragement of homosexuality. However, they have not answered me yet.
We, medical doctors and other people from different walks of life and from all over the world, have launched now an appeal addressed to the authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan calling on them to immediately release Dr Hussein and compensate him for any damage he’s sustained. I understand that the Medical Association in Iraqi Kurdistan has supported this sentence, whereas the Iraqi Medical Association has kept silent on this matter, possibly due to fear or ignorance. The sentence runs counter to that what the goals and duties stipulated by the Iraqi Medical Association (IMA) state: the IMA aims at "Boosting up the medical profession, and enhancing the scientific and professional standards of the members".
This sentence, furthermore, is inconsistent with the WMA s Mission Statement: "To ensure the highest possible standards of medical ethics, medical education, human rights and professional care of patients, in an environment of professional autonomy".
Websites:
Iraq Medical Association: http://www.ima-iq.org <http://www.ima-iq.org/>
The Iraqi Ministry of Health: http://www.mohealth.org/English/home.htm <http://www.mohealth.org/English/home.htm>
Our Appeal calling on the Iraqi authorities to release Dr Hussein: http://www.ahewar.org/camp/i.asp?id=140 <http://www.ahewar.org/camp/i.asp?id=140>
Certainly, I would be most glad to provide you more information if needed.
I would highly appreciate your advice and support to secure the release of Dr Hussein and to urge the Iraqi authorities to uphold the Iraqi constitution and respect the professional freedom and integrity of the Iraq doctors.
With best regards


Dr Talal Alrubaie






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