Iranian of the Day

Zamaneh: Prominent Iranian journalist Jila Bani-Yaghoub has begun her one-year jail term at Evin Prison. The Kaleme opposition website reports that Ban-Yaghoub, a prominent Iranian journalist and women’s rights activist, returned to Evin Prison on Sunday September 2 to serve out a one-year sentence. She was arrested in 2009 during the post-election protests against the controversial victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ban-Yaghoub was arrested along with her husband, Bahman Ahmadi Amouyi, another journalist, who is currently at Rajaee Shahr Prison serving a five-year prison term. In addition to her one-year jail term, Bani-Yaghoub has also been banned for 30 years from media activities for the charge of "propaganda against the Islamic Republic and insulting the president." The Islamic Republic government has arrested and jailed many journalists in reaction to the 2009 protests.

Reporters Without Borders has been consistently speaking out against the treatment of journalists in Iran, and in its latest statement, the press-rights group reports that with 26 journalists and 18 netizens in jail, Iran only trails China as the biggest prison for journalists.