Bani-Yaghoub, a former editor of the banned reformist daily Sarmayeh and editor-in-chief of the Iranian Women’s Club, a news website focusing on women’s rights, began serving a one-year prison term in September 2012 in Evin Prison’s women’s ward, according to news reports. She had been sentenced in 2010 on charges of “propagating against the regime,” and “insulting the president,” for articles she wrote during the June 2009 contested presidential elections. Her sentence also included a 30-year ban on practicing journalism.
Bani-Yaghoub was first arrested in June 2009 with her husband, Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, a journalist who had contributed to several reformist newspapers. Bani-Yaghoub was released on bail in August 2009, but Amouee remained in prison and was sentenced to a five-year term on anti-state charges.
In 2009, Bani-Yaghoub was awarded the Courage in Journalism Prize by the International Women’s Media Foundation and in 2010 was a recipient of the Freedom of Speech Award from Reporters Without Borders.