Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi has refused to appear before a security court, saying the summons that she received failed to state the charge against her.
Mrs. Ebadi, who won the 2003 Nobel peace prize, was ordered to appear before Iran's Revolutionary Court, which deals with national security matters. Ignoring the summons could land her in jail. The 57-year-old activist has angered some conservatives by defending high-profile political dissidents and their families. In Washington, the State Department said it is closely monitoring the case, adding that arresting "proponents of moderation, pluralism and political reform" violates international human rights standards. In a separate development, Reuters news agency reports that American publisher Random House plans to publish Mrs. Ebadi's memoirs. No release date for the book has been announced.
