Manizha Bakhtari

Manizha Bakhtari منیژه باختری
Afghanistan Ambassador to Austria in-exile
Incumbent
Assumed office September, 2021
President	Ashraf Ghani (until 15 August 2021)
Afghanistan Ambassador to the Nordic Countries
In office September, 2009 – August, 2015
President	Hamid Karzai
Preceded by	Jawed Ludin
Succeeded by	Shukria Barakzai
Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief of Staff
In office 2007–2009
Personal details
Born	Kabul, Afghanistan
Spouse	Naser Hotaki
Children	Mustafa Hotaki, Nosheen Hotaki, Parnian Hotaki
Alma mater	Kabul University

Manizha Bakhtari (Persian: منیژه باختری) is an Afghan diplomat, author, and journalist. She currently serves as the Afghan ambassador to Austria. She was the former Afghan ambassador to the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland). Bakhtari previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as a part-time lecturer at Kabul University.

Life and Education

Bakhtari is the daughter of Afghan poet Wasef Bakhtari. Bakhtari holds a B.A. in journalism and a M.A. in Persian Language and Literature from Kabul University. In 2002, she was accredited as a lecturer in the Journalism Faculty of Kabul University.

Work

Prior to her diplomatic posts, Bakhtari worked with the Cooperation Center for Afghanistan (CCA), a non-governmental organization. She is the author of two journalistic books: The interesting World of News and Ethics and Law in Journalism, which are currently used as textbooks in the Journalism Faculty of Kabul University. She is the author of Angabin Neshkhand wa Sharang Noshkhand, a book about the contemporary history of the satirical genre in Afghanistan. She has published a collection of stories titled Three Angels, highlighting the challenges of Afghan women. She was the editor-in-chief of Parnian Magazine (a cultural and literature quarterly magazine).

Personal life

Bakhtari is married to Naser Hotaki, an Afghan businessman and sports executive. They have four children together: Mariam Hotaki, Mustafa Hotaki, Nosheen Hotaki, and Parnian Hotaki.