The Defenders of Human Rights Centre said it opposed the bill, which is set to be debated by parliament and seeks to toughen punishments for harming "mental security" in society.

"If this bill is adopted, there will be further infringement of the freedom of expression, citizens' judicial security will be jeopardised and executions will increase," the group said in a statement.

Iran's conservative-controlled parliament is yet to debate the bill, which the MPs voted to take up as a priority earlier this month.

In this bill "establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption and apostasy are described as punishable by death in the same way as crimes such as rape and armed robbery," the statement from Ebadi's group said.

"It will be up to the court to recognise corruption and apostasy so it will jeopardise the lives of those who are guilty only of writing," it added.

The draft bill lists a wide range of crimes such as rape and armed robbery for which the death penalty already applies.

But in a new addition to crimes punishable by death it also includes "establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy."

Those convicted of these crimes "should be punished as 'mohareb' (enemy of God) and 'corrupt on the earth'," the text says, and under Iranian law they are punishable by death.

Even if it is adopted, the bill still needs to be rubber-stamped by a conservative clerical watchdog before being written into law.

Human rights groups have accused Iran of making excessive use of the death penalty, but Tehran insists it is an effective deterrent that is carried out only after an exhaustive judicial process.

The number of executions soared last year to 317 amid a campaign which the authorities said was aimed at improving security in society, and was sharply up on 2006 figures when Amnesty International recorded 177 executions.

© 2008 Agence France-Presse