Joumana Seif

Joumana Seif (born 1970) is a Syrian lawyer, human and women rights activist. She is a Research Fellow at the International Crimes and Accountability at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights based in Berlin.[1][2] She is co-author of the book Words against Silence. Seif is a 2023 recipient of Anne Klein Women's Award presented by Heinrich Böll Foundation in recognition of her human rights activism.[3]

Background and career

Joumana Seif was born in a business and political family. Her father Riad Seif was a successful textile businessman before joining politics and ran for the Syrian parliament as an independent candidate in 1994. In the parliament, he was critical of President Hafez Assad regime. He was sent to prison several times and his textile factory taxed into bankruptcy for his criticism of Assad government.[4]

Seif studied law at Beirut Arab University, Lebanon and Damascus University, Syria. Seif began her human rights advocacy in 2001 focusing on political prisoners and was a member of several democratic movements including Syrian Women's Initiative for Peace and Democracy, and Policy Coordination Group, a Syrian initiative on the missing and disappeared in collaboration with the International Commission on Missing Persons.[5][6] She was a member of the Damascus Declaration National Council from 2007 to 2012.[7] She was the chairperson of The Day After: Supporting Democratic Transition in Syria. In 2012, a year after the uprising in Syria began, she fled to Berlin where she cofounded several Syrian women focused groups including Syrian Feminist Lobby, Syrian Women's Political Movement and Syrian Women's Network.[8][9]

References
  1. Schaer, Cathrin. "Relief, satisfaction at conviction of Syrian former colonel". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  2. "Joumana Seif". interview-her.com. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  3. "ECCHR - International Crimes and Accountability - Joumana Seif". www.ecchr.eu. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  4. "Joumana Seif: My dream is 'to help build a democratic Syria' – DW – 01/02/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  5. Vock, Ido (2022-01-24). "The fight to prosecute Syrian war criminals | With Joumana Seif". New Statesman. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  6. "Joumana Seif". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  7. Sh (2022-01-25). "Joumana Seif: Raslan Trial Necessary, not Substitute to Transitional Justice". The Syrian Observer. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  8. "'A political solution in Syria is a long way off'". www.ips-journal.eu. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  9. "Joumana Seif". The Syrian Women's Political Movement. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
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