Norway: Iran seizes Nobel laureate Ebadi ' s medal
Ebadi Nobel
Norwegian authorities were told that Ebadi's medal was seized "within the last week or so" from a safe-deposit box in Iran along with personal effects including the diploma awarded with the medal  the Foreign Ministry said. Spokeswoman Ragnhild Imerslund said Norwegian authorities have been "in touch" with Ebadi since the incident.
 Ebadi  a human rights lawyer  won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her efforts in promoting democracy. She has long faced harassment from Iranian authorities for her activities -- including a raid on her office last year in which files were confiscated.
 Ebadi was out of the country at the time of the vote and has not returned since  saying she is "in an effective state of exile."
 The opposition claims that hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election was fraudulent. Ebadi urged the international community to reject the outcome and called for a new vote monitored by the United Nations. She has strongly criticized the clerical leadership's postelection crackdown on dissent. During the past months  hundreds of pro-reform activists have been arrested  and a mass trial has sentenced dozens to prison terms.
 Ebadi could not be reached on Thursday for comment.
 Ebadi said in an interview published Nov. 17 in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera that her apartment  pension and her bank account and those of her relatives had been seized  along with her Nobel and Legion of Honor.
 "I live in an effective state of exile " she was quoted as saying from a hotel in New York  where she had been attending U.N. meetings. "They say I owe them $410 000 in back taxes because of the Nobel; it's a complete lie  given that the Iranian fiscal law says that prizes are excluded."
 She nevertheless said she plans to return to Iran when she can be more useful in the country than outside it.
 "Nothing frightens me any more  even if they threaten to arrest me for fiscal evasion upon my return " she said.
Norwegian authorities were told that Ebadi's medal was seized "within the last week or so" from a safe-deposit box in Iran along with personal effects including the diploma awarded with the medal  the Foreign Ministry said. Spokeswoman Ragnhild Imerslund said Norwegian authorities have been "in touch" with [TGT] since the incident.
 Ebadi  a human rights lawyer  won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her efforts in promoting democracy. She has long faced harassment from Iranian authorities for her activities -- including a raid on her office last year in which files were confiscated.
 [TGT] was out of the country at the time of the vote and has not returned since  saying she is "in an effective state of exile."
 The opposition claims that hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election was fraudulent. [TGT] urged the international community to reject the outcome and called for a new vote monitored by the United Nations. She has strongly criticized the clerical leadership's postelection crackdown on dissent. During the past months  hundreds of pro-reform activists have been arrested  and a mass trial has sentenced dozens to prison terms.
 [TGT] could not be reached on Thursday for comment.
 [TGT] said in an interview published Nov. 17 in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera that [TGT] apartment  pension and [TGT] bank account and those of [TGT] relatives had been seized  along with [TGT] Nobel and Legion of Honor.
 "I live in an effective state of exile " [TGT] was quoted as saying from a hotel in New York  where [TGT] had been attending U.N. meetings. "They say I owe them $410 000 in back taxes because of the Nobel; it's a complete lie  given that the Iranian fiscal law says that prizes are excluded."
 [TGT] nevertheless said [TGT] plans to return to Iran when [TGT] can be more useful in the country than outside it.
 "Nothing frightens me any more  even if they threaten to arrest me for fiscal evasion upon my return " [TGT] said.