Lawyers for Iranian women's rights activists say authorities have released most of the women detained after staging a demonstration outside a Tehran courthouse earlier this week.

The lawyers say 30 women's rights activists were freed by late Wednesday, but three are still being held in prison.

They say most were freed on bail.

It was not clear if the remaining activists were continuing their hunger strike that all of the detainees began Tuesday.

Police in Tehran Sunday arrested 33 women, including many prominent rights activists. They were holding a rally outside a courthouse in where five other women activists are standing trial.

Wednesday, a New York-based rights group asked the Iranian government to drop the charges against the five feminists. 

In a statement, Human Rights Watch said the Iranian constitution and international law guarantee the right to peaceful assembly. 

The five feminists standing trial are accused of participating in an illegal protest last June. They were demonstrating against Iranian laws that they say discriminate against women.  

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP .