Iran has sentenced four women's rights activists to six months in jail, including one who was awarded a $75,000 human rights prize in Sweden this year, campaigners said.

It was the latest sign of a clampdown on activists working to change legislation which they say discriminates against women in the Islamic Republic. Iran rejects accusations of bias.

Dozens of activists have been detained over the last two years and several have received mostly suspended prison terms.

"This is part of a backlash against women's rights activists who demand equal rights in a patriarchal system," campaigner Sussan Tahmasebi said about this week's sentencing by a court.

She said Parvin Ardalan, Maryam Hosseinkhah, Jelveh Javaheri and Nahid Keshavarz would appeal. Their defence lawyers include Shirin Ebadi, Iran's 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

The activists write on women's issues on the Internet and were accused of actions against national security by spreading propaganda against the state, a common charge against dissenting voices in Iran.

"You can't accuse people on security charges for expressing their opinions," said Tahmasebi, who is appealing a partly suspended two-year jail sentence issued last year.

There was no immediate comment from the judiciary.

The four are also leading figures in a campaign to try and collect one million signatures in supp... >>>