Iranian dissident speaks out in Tehran

TEHRAN, March 2 (UPI) -- An Iranian women's rights activist facing a jail term for opposing the current regime has given an interview to a British newspaper.

Parvin Ardalan, 41, co-founded a campaign to gather a million signatures supporting women's rights in Iraq. A court sentenced her to three years in prison for allegedly threatening Iranian national security. She is appealing her sentence, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Ardalan said in an interview with the newspaper from Tehran that she is fighting for equal rights for all groups in Iran.

"It's not only for women. It's the same for religious and cultural minorities. They're being discriminated against, too," she said.

Around 2,000 people clashed with police trying to arrest women for wearing colorful clothing in Tehran last week in what Ardalan sees as a sign of change in Iran.

Ardalan accepts the Olof Palme Prize in Stockholm this week. Previous recipients include former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Amnesty International.