Sanjay Sethi is the co-Executive Director and co-founder of Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI), overseeing coordination of its advocacy programs and legal services in Europe and the United States. As Director, Mr. Sethi spearheaded AFI’s relocation program for global at-risk artists and initiated the first country-by-country human rights report series focusing on freedom of artistic expression. He recently initiated AFI’s strategic litigation program, designed to challenge restrictions to creative freedom before the European Court of Human Rights and EU Court of Justice.

Since 2010, Mr. Sethi has also served as the managing partner of Sethi & Mazaheri, LLC, dedicating his legal practice to immigration, asylum, and art law. In 2021, the firm was awarded New York State pro bono law firm of the year. He is admitted to practice law in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Mr. Sethi is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Supervising Attorney for University of California, Berkeley School of Law Arts and Innovation Representation program. He received his BA in economics and international studies from Northwestern University, MA in International Affairs from Columbia University and JD from University of Miami School of Law. Mr. Sethi also holds certificates in Art and Cultural Heritage Law from Georgetown University Law Center and non-profit management from Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy.