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Anti-Iran extremist held in Ottawa

OTTAWA: A suspected member of Iran's main armed opposition group, was arrested in Ottawa in December, a Canadian immigration official said on Saturday.

Huguette Shouldice, a spokeswoman for Immigration Canada, confirmed a report in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper that Mahnaz Samadi, an Iranian national believed to be in her early 40s, was arrested following a joint investigation involving CSIS, Canada's spy agency, and the immigration department.

Samadi, who was arrested on an immigration warrant, is not facing any criminal charges in Canada.

"I can confirm that the arrest took place and the person is in detention," Shouldice told Reuters, declining to give further details.

Dan Lambert, a spokesman for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), said the spy agency worked closely with immigration officials on the arrest and continues to provide assistance in Immigration's efforts to deport Samadi.

"We have investigated and we did assist immigration on this case," Lambert told Reuters. He declined to provide further details, saying CSIS does not comment on specific targets of the agency.

Samadi is being held at Ottawa-Carleton Regional Detention Centre.

Shouldice said she did not know where Samadi would be deported to, saying there were a number of factors that could come into play, including Samadi's citizenship and her last country of residence. She refused to divulge information about Samadi's passport or present citizenship.

"To say she would definitely be going back to Iran would not be true; it could be the U.S.," Shouldice said.

According to the newspaper, disassociated members of Mujahideen Khalq have told authorities that Samadi is considered a commander of the group's training unit. She reportedly lived in Virginia in the United States for several years and was across the street from the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa when she was arrested. No specifics on a hometown in Virginia were released.

Samadi came under scrutiny by Canadian authorities after she allegedly entered the country illegally from the United States, the Citizen reported.

The newspaper said prominent members of the organisation have long worked in North America, recruiting fighters or raising funds for its military wing, the National Liberation Army.-Reuters