Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi's sister held in Iran

“My sister Dr Nooshin Ebadi was arrested at 9 pm on December 28 by four intelligence agents at her home and sent to prison,” Ebadi said in a statement carried by the Rahesabz website. “I am not aware of the place of her detention or the reason for her arrest,” she said, describing her sister as a professor of medicine. Three journalists and a women’s rights campaigner have also been arrested, reports said.

Prominent reformist journalist Mashallah Shamsolvaezin was arrested at his home on Tuesday morning, Rahesabz said. “Six young men in plainclothes entered his house with a blank warrant, he resisted and asked for one with a name,” the website said.
“But an hour later, four older men showed up and threatened to take him forcibly if he did not go with them.” Journalist Morteza Kazemian, who wrote for reformist Etemad newspaper and some opposition websites, and women’s rights activist Mansoureh Shojai were arrested around midnight on Monday, Rahesabz said.

Meanwhile, Iranian MPs called for “maximum punishment” for opposition demonstrators on Tuesday after violent protests erupted during a Shiite religious commemoration and eight people were killed.

The conservative-dominated parliament condemned “disgusting comments” by Western governments about Sunday’s unrest and accused the protesters of being “anti-religion” and “counter-revolutionaries.”