July 18, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has called on UN rights chief Louise Arbour to investigate pressure against women's rights activists in Iran.

In a letter published on Iranian news websites, Ebadi, a human rights lawyer, said that in recent weeks a number of women's rights advocates have been sentenced to prison terms.

Ebadi said she is concerned that these activists are being prosecuted only because of their protests against discrimination toward women.

(Radio Farda, iran-emrooz.net)

... Payvand News - 7/19/07 ...