President Ahmadinejad ordered police to provide Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi extra protection, after she recently told police she has received an increasing number of death threats, Radio Farda reported, citing Iranian media. Ahmadinejad also instructed the police to find out who sent her threatening letters.

As a lawyer, Ebadi has defended a number of Iranians in rights abuse cases and believes she has provoked the anger of people opposed to her liberal views. She recently told Reuters that she is not afraid of working for a "righteous" cause. She has appointed two lawyers, Abdolfattah Soltani and Laila Alikarami, as her attorneys in this case, Radio Farda reported on April 15.

Ebadi complains of death threats

Ebadi enclosed photocopies of threats sent to her office on April 3. She told Ahmadi-Moqaddam she has no personal disputes with anyone and defended human rights plaintiffs free of charge, and concluded thereby that those threatening her "are opposed to my...opinions."

She said one of the threats was signed by a group called the Anti-Baha'i Society and it warned her to stop serving the interests of foreigners and Baha'is. Baha'is are a religious group founded in Iran in the 19th century, and effectively outlawed in Iran since the 1979 revolution.

Another threatening letter said Ebadi has been repeatedly warned to mind what she says in public, and but has continued to speak abroad. The letter told her, "you are being warned for the last time to amend your conduct, or you will taste the vengeance for betraying the country and Islam," Radio Farda reported.

... Payvand News - 04/16/08 ...