President Bush presided at a White House ceremony Monday honoring women around the world who are fighting for freedom.

Seven human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have called on authorities in Iran to set aside a sentence passed on Iranian women's rights activist Delaram Ali.

Iran has sentenced a prominent human-rights activist and writer to a three-year jail term. Emad Baghi, the head of the Society to Defend the Rights of Prisoners, has been convicted on security charges, including acting against Iran's national security.