Mardjan Seighali

Mardjan Seighali (born 1964) is an Iranian-born Dutch human rights activist, refugee worker and non-profit director. In 2013 Seighali became director of the Stichting voor Vluchteling Studenten UAF (Refugee Students Foundation). She serves on the Advisory Board of the College voor de Rechten van de Mens, and a member of the Supervisory Board of Het Loo Palace.

Biography Youth Mardjan Seighali was born in 1964 in the northern Iranian city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea. Until the outbreak of the Iranian Revolution in 1978, Seighali had a protected family life, but the fall of the Shah inspired her to take an interest in politics. She distributed pamphlets and attended meetings where she participated in discussions.

Flight to the Netherlands

In 1989, Rasul as cameraman secretly filmed an execution with the intention of smuggling the footage out of the country, but he was caught, had to immediately flee abroad, and ended up in the Netherlands.

Life in the Netherlands Having arrived in the Netherlands, Seighali first learnt Dutch all by herself, and then began studying, which she had been barred from doing in Iran. In the period from January 1st to September 1st, 2023, she served as the head of the Natuurstad Rotterdam Foundation.

Awards 2019: Comeniusprijs

Works Tot op de dag (2021)