Mahnaz Samadi
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Mahnaz Samadi is an Iranian dissident and human rights activist,[1] who was previously a member in the Iranian Mujahideen-e Khalq.[2][3]
In 1982, she was accused of leading a terrorist attack against the Iranian government on behalf of the MEK.[3]
In 1993, she traveled to Canada and replaced Robab Farahi-Mahdavieh as the leader of North American operations of the MEK's civilian front.[3]
She was arrested in Ottawa in 1999,[2] and in 2000 faced an American immigration board after she applied for political asylum.[1]
However, John Ashcroft, serving in his then-capacity as Senator of Missouri wrote a May 10 plea for lenience in her hearing to Attorney General Janet Reno, arguing that Samadi was a "highly regarded human-rights activist".[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Washington Times, Iranian fears death after US expulsion, July 7, 2000
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bell, Stewart. National Post, "Guerrillas claim links to Canada", July 19, 2004
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Martin, Gus. "The New Era of Terrorism", p. 94
- ↑ Isikoff, Michael. Newsweek, "Ashcroft's Baghdad Connection", September 26, 2002
