Interview | Gissou Nia, Human Rights Lawyer, on Justice, Diaspora Identity, and the Power of Speaking Up

Growing Up Irooni - Gissou Nia, Human Rights Lawyer, on
Justice, Diaspora Identity, and the Power of Speaking Up


In this episode, Leyla talks with Gissou Nia, a leading
international human rights lawyer and Director of the Strategic
Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council. Gissou shares her
journey from growing up Iranian-American in New Jersey to taking
on some of the world’s most urgent human rights cases. They
discuss the tension between diaspora and homeland, how her name
connects her to Persian poetry and protest, and why it’s more
important than ever for those in the diaspora to speak up.


Topics covered:


Growing up Iranian in the U.S.

What “Gissou” really means (and why it’s more than just
“hair”)

Legal work on Iran and other crisis zones

Fear of speaking out—then and now

Diaspora activism and responsibility

Personal reflections on power, identity, and justice



Follow Gissou:


Twitter/X: @GissouNia

Instagram: @gissounia