Police raids Iran Nobel Laureate's office

Iranian police on Sunday raided and closed the office of a watchdog group led by Iran's Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi ahead of a celebration to mark International Human Rights Day.

Iran's judiciary confirmed the closure of the Human Rights Defenders Centre, saying it was involved in "illegal" activities.

"Tehran prosecutor ordered the closure of the office of Human Rights Defenders Centre because of its illegal activities," the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

"The centre was acting as a (political) party without having legal permit. It had illegal contacts with local and foreign organizations. It had organised news conferences and seminars."

Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel peace prize, criticised the raid, saying it will not stop human rights activists in Iran.