Iran calls for banker's extradition after concerns raised about Canadian imprisoned in Tehran

Iranian officials are calling out the Canadian government for failing to extradite a banker who settled in Torontoand whothey claim is behind a multibillion-dollar embezzlement scheme.

The comments from Iran's justice minister came just hours after the family of a Canadian academic publiclyraised concerns about her incarceration in a notorious prison in Tehran.

• Concordia University prof jailed in Iran's Evin prison, family says

Concordia University anthropologist Homa Hoodfar, 65, was arrested over the weekend, according to her family. It was the second time she's been arrested since arriving in the country several months ago to conduct research.

The Iranian government hasaccusedHoodfar, who holds both Canadian and Iranian passports,of "co-operatingwith a foreign state against the IslamicRepublic of Iran."

Canada accused of not co-operating

As Foreign Affairs MinisterStphane DioncalledHoodfar's casea "priority" on Wednesday,the Iranian regime renewed one of itslong-standingdemands of Ottawa.

Iran's Justice Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadiwas reported in a semi-official news agency report as saying that Canada was ignoring Iraniandemands to extraditeMahmmoud Reza Khavari.

The report, which appeared Wednesday from the Fars News Agency, saysPourmohammaditold reporters in Tehran that Canada "is not committed and has not rendered any co-operation" with its extradition request.

Khavari is described in the articleas the "main culprit" behind a $2.6-billion bank fraud in Iran. It sayshe fled Iran in 2011, having previously acquired Canadian citizenship.

Dion was questioned about Hoodfar's situationin the House of Commons on Thursday. He repeated what he told the House on Wednesday, saying her case is important and thatthe government is concerned about her well-being.

Amnesty takes upHoodfar'scase

The Canadian branch of human rights group Amnesty International announced Thursday it would take up Hoodfar's caseand called on Ottawa to pressure Iran for her release.

"The arrest of respected and accomplished scholar, Dr.HomaHoodfar, is the latest attempt by the Iranian authorities at targeting individuals, including academics, for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association." said AlexNeve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.

"It is deeply troubling that someone whose research focuses on addressing women's inequality can find herself arbitrarily arrested and held, possibly insolitary confinement, without access to a lawyer and her family."