Dr. Donja Hodaie is an attorney-at-law, researcher, and public speaker specializing in human rights, minority and women’s rights, state repression, and political developments in Iran and Kurdistan.

She studied law in Berlin and completed her legal training in Germany, Iran, and Australia. In 2025, she completed her doctorate at Bielefeld University with a dissertation titled “The Legitimacy of German and Iranian State Security Offences.” Her research examines how state-security laws operate in democratic and authoritarian systems, with particular attention to their potential use in suppressing political opposition and restricting individual freedoms.

Until August 2025, Dr. Hodaie worked at a German federal ministry. She now works as an independent attorney, researcher, and public speaker. Her research and publications address human-rights enforcement, minority and women’s rights, gender apartheid in international criminal law, and the relationship between state security and fundamental freedoms.

Through her legal, academic, and public work, Dr. Hodaie focuses on advancing justice, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights in Iran and Kurdistan.