'Iran urged to overturn women's convictions'

NewYork, Apr 26: An international human rights group urged the head of Iran's judiciary to overturn the conviction of six women's rights advocates and end its persecution of human rights defenders.

US-based Human Rights Watch yesterday also said that Tehran should scrap laws that discriminate against women. The six women were convicted after attending a banned rally last June to demand greater women's rights.

''The Iranian Judiciary is using national security laws to imprison women's rights activists for peacefully protesting against legally sanctioned discrimination,'' said Sarah Leah Whitson, Human Rights Watch Middle East director.

Four of the women were sentenced to six months in prison, a fifth was sentenced to one year in prison, while the sixth received a suspended two-year sentence.

They were among about 100 women who protested in central Tehran against unequal inheritance laws, the difficulties women in Iran face getting a divorce, and the fact that their court testimony is worth half that of men.

About 70 women were detained during the protest, but it was not clear whether others had also been convicted.

Although women are legally entitled to hold most jobs in Iran, an Islamic republic, there are few women in positions of power.

Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei was quoted in a newspaper earlier this month as saying ''the enemy's new conspiracy'' was to plan a ''soft revolution'' led by women and student movements.

Human Rights Watch said that during the past year the Iranian government had substantially increased its persecution and prosecution of women's rights activists.

Reuters>