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Niloufar Bayani is an Iranian environmental scientist and conservationist who has been particularly known for her work in wildlife conservation.

Born in 1987, she earned a Master's Degree in Environmental Science from McGill University in Canada and worked for the United Nations Environment Programme before returning to Iran to work on conservation efforts.

Bayani was a member of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection of endangered species in Iran.

Her work mainly focused on conservation and research related to the Asiatic cheetah, a critically endangered species. In January 2018, Bayani and several of her colleagues were arrested by the Iranian authorities on charges of espionage.

The case drew international attention due to allegations of human rights abuses and the death of one of the detained, Kavous Seyed Emami, under suspicious circumstances in prison.

The Iranian authorities claimed the group had been using environmental projects as a cover to collect classified strategic information.

In November 2019, Bayani and some of her colleagues were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to ten years. Bayani received a 10-year sentence.

Her trial was widely criticized for lack of due process and use of confessions reportedly obtained under torture. Bayani remains in prison.

However, her case has attracted international attention, with numerous human rights and environmental groups calling for her release.