An Iranian appeals court has upheld six-month jail terms against four women's rights activists over articles written by them on feminist websites, a newspaper reported on Thursday.
A Tehran revolutionary court sentenced Parvin Ardalan, Jelveh Javaheri, Maryam Hosseinkhah and Nahid Keshavarz in September over their articles on the "Change For Equality" and "Zanestan" websites.
Etemad Melli newspaper said the four women had been accused of "acting against national security."
The four are active members of an initiative that seeks to change Iran's Sharia-based laws for women by collecting one million signatures.
Ardalan, who won Sweden's Olof Palme Prize in 2007, already faces another six-month jail term and suspended sentences of two, and two and half years -- which are being appealed -- on charges of seeking to harm national security.
The 41-year-old campaigner was detained along with 70 other people for a June 2006 demonstration in a Tehran square demanding equal rights for women on divorce, inheritance and child custody.
Hosseinkhah, 27, and Javaheri, 30, were also arrested in November and December 2007 for allegedly spreading lies and propaganda against the system through articles published on feminist websites.
The two were released on bail after more than a month in custody.
Iran has exerted mounting pressure on women's rights advocates, and several have been arrested in the past two years for calling for changes to Iranian laws or for taking part in public protests.
In late January, women's rights campaigner Alieh Eghdamdoost started serving a three-year sentence handed down over her participation in the June 2006 protest.(AFP)
Report-- Naharnet
19-02-2009
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