Mahnaz Samadi is an Iranian dissident and human rights

Human rights

Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

 activist, who was previously a member in the Iranian Mujahideen-e Khalq.

In 1982, she was accused of leading a terrorist attack against the Iranian government on behalf of the MEK.

In 1993, she traveled to Canada and replaced Robab Farahi-Mahdavieh

Robab Farahi-Mahdavieh

Robab Farahi-Mahdavieh was a "leading female member" of the Iranian Mujahideen-e Khalq, and believed to be the leader of their North American operations....

 as the leader of North American operations of the MEK's civilian front.

She was arrested in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 in 1999, and in 2000 faced an American immigration board after she applied for political asylum.

However, John Ashcroft

John Ashcroft

John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...

, serving in his then-capacity as Senator of Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

 wrote a May 10 plea for lenience in her hearing to Attorney General

Attorney General

In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...

 Janet Reno

Janet Reno

Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...

, arguing that Samadi was a "highly regarded human-rights activist".