Nuremberg  - The daughter of a close associate of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has requested asylum in Germany, after attending a human rights film festival in Nuremberg, a festival spokesman said on Tuesday.

Filmmaker Nargef Kalhor, 25, had refused to return to her native Iran after the festival and applied for asylum instead. She is currently in a refugee centre near Nuremberg, the spokesman added.

Kalhor's father Mehdi Kalhor is said to be one of Ahmadinejad's closest confidants. The former documentary film producer has advised the Iranian president on cultural issues since August 2005.

Nargef Kalhor attended the Nuremberg festival with her short film "The Rake." The Iranian adaptation of a story by Franz Kafka was critical of Iran's current regime, the festival spokesman said.

Mehdi Kalhor confirmed to the Iranian Mehr news agency that his daughter had applied for asylum, but said he did not know what her reasons were.

The government advisor said he had not seen his daughter since he divorced his wife a year ago. His daughter had been exploited by "enemies of the country" for propaganda purposes, he said.

Mehdi Kalhor further advised his daughter "not to take the path of no return."(dpa)