Marriage and Personal Life
Two years after returning from Germany, Maleki met and married Sabiha Ganji, a biology teacher and daughter of Ali Naghi Ganji Maleki, a prominent constitutionalist from Tabriz. Their union was one of intellectual partnership and emotional stability. Sabiha was not only his wife but also his closest confidante. She played a significant role in supporting Maleki’s political and intellectual work. Colleagues and friends often remarked that without her, Maleki’s impact would have been far more limited.
The Group of 53 and Political Imprisonment
In the early 1940s, Maleki reconnected with Dr. Taghi Arani, who was then editing a new left-leaning magazine titled Dunya. The magazine became a vehicle for progressive and anti-imperialist thought. However, the authorities soon clamped down, arresting everyone associated with it. Maleki was among them.
They were collectively dubbed the “Group of 53” (Goruh-e Panjaho-seh Nafari), a name that became iconic after Bozorg Alavi—another imprisoned intellectual—published his memoirs. Their time in prison became legendary in Iranian leftist lore, representing the courage of young intellectuals in the face of autocratic repression. Maleki’s prison experience only solidified his commitment to democratic principles and anti-authoritarian socialism.