Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner sued over book

NEW YORK, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Iran's 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi was sued by a co-author for pulling out of an agreement to publish a new book.

Ebadi, the first Iranian and first Muslim woman to win the peace prize, had agreed to write ''A Useful Enemy,'' with political analyst Shahir Shahidsaless, according to the lawsuit.

Shahidsaless sued her for 1.3 million dollars in damages after Ebadi's literary agent and her publisher, Random House, recommended that she pull out of the deal out of concern that it would damage future sales of her other books, according to the suit filed in federal court in Manhattan yesterday.

Shahidsaless had wasted 1-1/2 years working on the book because it would not sell without Ebadi's famed reputation as a lawyer and rights activist, the lawsuit said.

The pair had several meetings and exchanged e-mails while working on the book, the lawsuit said.

Sally Marvin, a spokeswoman for Random House, said the company did not comment on lawsuits.

In May 2006 Random House published Ebadi's autobiography ''Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope,'' which includes details of her disillusionment with Iran and was positively received in western countries.

REUTERS AK BST0513