She showed support in her work for the counter-revolutionary groups which wage war against God

Tehran's Islamic Revolution Court

In the past year, several journalists and writers have been arrested and correspondents say Mrs Milani's arrest suggests the hard-line judiciary is now targeting other intellectuals.

A statement from the public relations office of Tehran's Islamic Revolution Court said that Mrs Milani, "showed support in her work for the counter-revolutionary groups which wage war against God."

No mistake

She had "exploited art" it said, adding that "judicial investigations continue".

On Thursday, there had been reports that the film director had been arrested by mistake.

Newspapers have been closed - film makers might be next

The Hidden Half tells the story of a married woman who reminisces about a romantic affair with a left-wing rebel after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

It was officially approved by Iran's Culture Ministry, which is controlled by reformists loyal to President Mohammad Khatami and is still being shown in Iranian cinemas.

'Male-dominated'

Iran's film industry has won international acclaim in recent years, and correspondents say film makers have had greater freedom to tackle subjects previously considered taboo.

In a recent interview, Mrs Milani said that feminism was a way of "fighting (Iran's) male-dominated system".

Reformists and conservatives are engaged in a long-running battle for supremacy of Iran's political institutions.

The president and parliament are reformists, while the courts and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are sticking to the hard-line principles of the 1979 revolution.