Panel 2: Iranian Women and the Legacy of Resistance

Hannane Amanpour, Esq. is an accomplished attorney practicing in family, domestic relations, and business law throughout Northern Virginia. She earned her B.A. in Government and International Politics from George Mason University and her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where she served as Senior Articles Editor for the GW Journal of Energy and Environmental Law and was published in Volume 13.1. A lifelong advocate for human rights, Hannane is deeply engaged in advancing women’s rights and regularly speaks at public forums in support of a free, democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran. Her legal expertise and civic engagement reflect her commitment to justice in both her professional work and broader community.

Dr. Azadeh Sami is a board-certified pediatrician in Fairfax, Virginia, with more than a decade of clinical experience and a sustained commitment to human rights advocacy. She completed her pediatric residency at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, and holds an M.S. in Public Health from the University of Colorado, grounding her work at the intersection of medicine and public policy. Alongside her clinical practice, Dr. Sami advocates for democracy and women’s rights in Iran, working to expose the regime’s systemic abuses and amplify the voices of political prisoners. She participates in national forums, policy discussions, and media outreach to highlight Iran’s gender apartheid and supports Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan as a democratic roadmap for a free and pluralistic Iran.

Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad is a distinguished scholar-practitioner, published author, and leading expert on technology, cybersecurity, and Iran policy. With more than 25 years of experience across public, private, and academic sectors, she has held senior roles advancing enterprise risk management, cybersecurity governance, data strategy, and innovation. Her academic and professional work focuses on conflict resolution, women’s rights, and democratic movements in Iran, and she has been widely recognized for her scholarship and service. A trusted voice on national security and human rights, Dr. Sepehrrad regularly briefs U.S. policymakers, contributes to international forums, and publishes on security, human rights, and foreign policy. Her work emphasizes exposing disinformation, documenting systemic abuses, and championing the Iranian people’s struggle for a free, democratic, and secular republic.

Dr. Azadeh Zangeneh is an internal medicine physician based in Cleveland, Ohio, dedicated to providing comprehensive adult primary care grounded in evidence-based practice and compassionate treatment. Dr. Zangeneh is committed to preventive care, complex chronic disease management, and advancing health literacy among her diverse patient population. In addition to her medical work, she has been a vocal supporter of the Iranian people’s fight against tyranny and champions the movement for a free, democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran. Her advocacy centers on amplifying the voices of Iranian women who face systemic discrimination and state-sponsored violence, and she works to raise awareness of their resilience in the face of repression. Inspired by the leadership of women on the front lines of Iran’s freedom movement, Dr. Zangeneh uses her platform to highlight the regime’s entrenched gender apartheid and call for meaningful international support for Iran’s pro-democracy forces.