International Commission of Jurists

Staff

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Our staff are drawn from across the world and a variety of legal traditions. The Secretariat is based in Switzerland, with offices in Thailand, Belgium, Nepal and Tunisia.

Secretary General

Santiago A. Canton

Secretary General

Santiago A. Canton is an Argentine jurist with an extensive career in working to advance human rights, the rule of law and democracy. He was Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the IACHR and Executive Director of the human rights program of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. He was also Chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and developed a close relationship with the regional human rights intergovernmental organisations. He served as Secretary of Human Rights for the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and in 2005, Mr. Canton was awarded the Inter-American Press Association´s Chapultepec Grand Prize for his contributions to the promotion, development, strengthening, and defence of the principles of freedom of expression. Santiago Canton has been Senior Fellow of the Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program at the Inter-American Dialogue and an international visiting scholar at American University, Washington College of Law. He holds a law degree from the University of Buenos Aires and a master’s degree in International Law from the Washington College of Law of American University.

Legal & Policy Office

Ian Seiderman

Senior Legal and Policy Director

Ian Seiderman has served with the ICJ from 2000 – 2005 and from 2008 to present. He served as Senior Legal Adviser for Amnesty International from 2005 – 2008. He has advised both organisations on a broad range of legal and policy questions in the areas of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. From 1994 – 1997, he was legal assistant to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Sir Nigel Rodley. He also served as a researcher for the Netherlands Institute of Human rights and as a staff attorney with the US-based Central American Refugee Center. He holds a PhD cum laude (Utrecht University); LLM (Essex University); JD (City University of New York at Queens College) and BA (University of Pennsylvania).

Livio Zilli

Deputy Programme Director

Livio joined the ICJ in September 2013. Until mid-2013 he was the Acting Head of the refugee and migrant rights team at the international secretariat of Amnesty International in London. Livio was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2007, and is an honorary member of Garden Court Chambers in London where he practised as a barrister until 2010 focussing on asylum and immigration, criminal and public law. Before going to the bar, Livio worked at the international secretariat of Amnesty International where, since the mid-90s, he was employed in various capacities, including as researcher until 2007. Livio holds an L.L.M. in international human rights law from the Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Sandra Epal-Ratjen

International Advocacy Director

Sandra Epal-Ratjen worked with the ICJ as the Head of the Programme on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights between 2010 and 2015. Between 2015 and 2023, she served as the International Advocacy Director and Deputy Executive Director of Franciscans International (FI), where she was directly involved in international standard-setting processes on business and human rights, and environment and human rights. Previous to this, she worked for over 10 years for Food First Information and Action Network (FIAN) International, based in Heidelberg, Germany. Sandra has extensive experience and expertise in international legal and advocacy processes, especially in the areas of economic, social and cultural rights, access to justice, business and human rights and environmental justice. She holds a Master’s degree in French and International Public Law and International Relations from the University of Grenoble, France. She has authored numerous publications and papers on the issues of human rights, development and access to justice, and regularly lectures at universities and academic institutions, including the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and Sciences Po Paris.

Nikunja Nepal

Programme Manager

Nikunja Nepal is the Programme Manager for LPO and the Donor Outreach Team. Nikunja has over a decade of experience in leading and implementing programs with a range of thematic focus areas on Development and Human Rights. Nikunja brings strong program, partnership and grant management experience from more than a dozen countries in Asia, North America and Africa where she has worked in close collaboration with local organisations in areas such as gender based violence, access to justice, promotion and protection of human rights, leadership development, resilience building and economic development. She has a Masters degree in Sociology from the University of Montreal.

Kate Vigneswaran

Global Accountability Initiative Director

Kate is an Australian qualified lawyer and an international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law expert who has advocated for accountability for violations of international law in multiple country contexts. Previously, Kate worked for the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (‘ICTY’) on numerous trial and appeal cases, as a senior expert with the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (‘UNODC’) on multi-year programmes in Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia, and as a legal advisor to the UK Ministry of Justice’s Human Rights Unit. She has also worked with numerous human rights NGOs documenting and reporting on violations and abuses of international humanitarian and human rights law in countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia; building the capacity of justice system actors and civil society to address impunity; and advocating for reforms of law, policies and practices necessary to prevent, deter and remedy crimes.

Raquel Saavedra

Legal Advisor

Raquel is an international human rights attorney specializing in accountability for atrocity crimes.

Sher Alam Ibrahimi

Legal Consultant

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Jessica Hajj

Finance Officer

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Europe and Central Asia Programme

Temur Shakirov

Programme Director ad interim & Senior Legal Adviser

Temur Shakirov specialises in international law with a focus on criminal justice process, fair trial, independence of judges and lawyers and implementation of international human rights obligations by States. Temur joined the Europe and Europe and Central Asia Programme of the ICJ in Geneva in early 2009. He has carried out research, missions and other work related to the justice system, focusing particularly on Europe and Central Asia States including the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Central Asian and others. Temur obtained his LL.M from Washington College of Law of the American University in DC. He previously graduated from the Tashkent State Institute of Law and the Uzbek World Languages University. Before joining the ICJ Temur worked at the Tashkent City Bar Association and the ABA/CEELI in Uzbekistan.

Karolína Babická

Senior Legal Adviser

Karolína Babická specializes in international law and EU law, especially the rights of migrants and refugees, children’s rights, rule of law, ESC rights, counter-terrorism and rights of persons with disabilities. She joined the Europe and Central Asia Programme of the ICJ in Brussels in 2016. She carries out research, legal analysis and strategic litigation and coordinates work of the programme in the European Union, and to some extent beyond – in Montenegro or Tajikistan. Karolína holds a PhD. in international and European law and an M.A. in law from Charles University in Prague and the Certificate of European Asylum and Migration Law from the Odysseus Network, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Before joining the ICJ, she worked in various civil society organizations in Brussels and in Prague.

Mouna Raouani

Regional Finance Officer

Mouna Raouani Joined ICJ ECA programme in January 2022, She holds a Bachelor’s and A Master’s degree in Accountancy and she has held increasingly responsible roles supporting the finance and accounts functions in both private and non-profit sector, possessing more than 9 years of experience in key positions in the accounts and finance department including working as a Finance Officer in the ICJ MENA programme. She has managed to gain an extensive insight within this field. Right now, she is working at ICJ Brussels office, managing the finances of the ECA Programme.

Kerem Altiparmak

Senior Legal Consultant, Turkey & Ukraine

Kerem Altiparmak has LLB (1995) and LLM (1998) degrees from Ankara University and a PhD degree from Leeds University (2002). He was the Director of the Human Rights Centre of the Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences until October 2017. He has also worked in a number of human rights projects with human rights NGOs, especially with the Human Rights Joint Platform in Turkey. He also worked with Prof. Yaman Akdeniz (İstanbul Bilgi University) in a number of freedom of expression projects. He won Turkish Publishers Association Award (2014), Halit Çelenk Legal Prize (2015), Columbia Global Freedom of Expression Award (2016) and Press Association of Turkey Press Freedom Prize (2016) with Professor Yaman Akdeniz. He was also the recipient of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights & the Rule of Law in 2017.

Sabohat Ergasheva

Project Officer, Uzbekistan

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Parvina Navruzova

Legal Consultant, Tajikistan

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Sitora Rakhimovo

Junior Legal Consultant, Uzbekistan

Sitora Rakhimova is a Junior Legal Researcher, carrying out research on issues and cases related to economic, social, and cultural rights in Uzbekistan. She also contributes to drafting ICJ Europe & Central Asia Programme statements, briefings, press-releases, advocacy papers on the issues related to the implementation of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Uzbekistan, as well as reports and legal interventions before International Human Rights bodies. 

Sitora had her undergraduate and master’s degrees in international law at UWED (the University of World Economy and Diplomacy). She also studied Sociology of Law at Lund University in Sweden. Previously, she worked as a National Consultant on engagement with national human rights bearers and UN HRMs at OHCHR ROCA (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Regional Office for Central Asia).

Laura Duchamp

Legal Researcher

Laura has legal experience in immigration law, family law, and children’s right protection, having worked for a law firm. Interested in Human Rights and Justice, she also has knowledge and experience of researching and drafting fundraising proposals. Laura holds a double bachelor’s degree in public law and political science from the University of Lyon 2 (France), as well as a Master’s degree in Fundamental Rights Practice from the University of Aix-Marseille (France).

Building on her experience as Administrative Assistant with the Programme, Laura now works as a Legal Researcher, supporting the ECA team with research on human rights and rule of law issues across the region, as well as on European human rights institutions and mechanisms, and other areas of focus for the ECA Programme.

Alessandra d’Alessandro

Legal Intern

Alessandra brings over three years of experience in supervising and implementing procurement processes with United Nations agencies, namely IFAD and WFP, at both Headquarters and Country Office levels. She has also interned with the Human Rights Department of the Italian Mission to the International Organizations in Geneva and the Valter Longo Foundation in Milan. Alessandra holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratization from the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice and an Integrated Master of Arts in Law from Bocconi University in Milan.

Viktoryia Konashava

Legal Researcher

Viktoryia earned a master’s degree in International Law and European Union Law, where she developed an interest in human rights. She completed a multidisciplinary Erasmus Mundus master’s degree with the focus on Human Rights and Migration at Radboud University in the Netherlands, having previously studied at the University of Glasgow and in Barcelona.

Building on her experience as a Legal Intern with the Programme, Viktoryia now works as a Legal Researcher, supporting the ECA team with research on human rights and rule of law issues across the region, as well as on European human rights institutions and mechanisms, and other areas of focus for the ECA Programme.

Ludivine Lecat

Programme Manager

Ludivine brings over seven years of experience in developing and coordinating humanitarian programmes across Sweden, Uganda and France. She worked with Humanity & Inclusion, DefendDefenders and Civil Rights Defenders, and oversaw complex multi-country projects, conducted field research and managed grants portfolio with various local partners. Ludivine holds a master’s degree in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action from Paris School of International Affairs / Sciences Po, a master’s degree in International Relations, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Institute of Political Studies of Aix-en-Provence.

Middle East and North Africa Programme

Saïd Benarbia

Director

Saïd Benarbia leads the ICJ research, advocacy and litigation work in the MENA region. For the past 18 years, he has designed and implemented strategic initiatives on the applicability of international humanitarian and human rights laws during armed conflicts, justice and Rule of Law reform, accountability for serious crimes under international, women’s access to justice, combating impunity for sexual and gender-based violence, and human rights and counter-terrorism measures. He has authored numerous reports and articles on these topics, and is an expert in the areas of criminal justice reform, transitional justice, constitutional reform, detention and fair trial rights and counter-terrorism and the rule of law. Prior to joining the ICJ, Saïd worked for the International Law and Legal Department of the International Organization for Migration. He has a degree in International Law from Fez University, Morocco, an LLM in Public Law from the Bourgogne University, France, and an LLM in European Law and Studies from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Shehrazade El-Hajjar

Legal Researcher

Shehrazade is a Public law expert with more than six years of experience in the academic, legal advisory, research and project management fields in Lebanon. She contributed to the drafting of impactful national laws and policies, while also coordinating and advocating with key stakeholders. She has been working for the past 3 years as a legal consultant for UNICEF, the Norwegian Refugee Council and the “Legal Agenda”, a Beirut-based nonprofit research and advocacy organisation. Shehrazade has been also working at Saint-Joseph University as an Instructor in Public Law part-time, and as Researcher on the Reform of the Lebanese administration project. Shehrazade has a master’s degree in Public Law from Panthéon-Assas University in Paris, and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Law at Saint-Joseph University in Beirut.

Stephen Collins

Legal Adviser

Stephen has more than 10 years of professional experience in the human rights field both as a practising Solicitor-Advocate and Senior Legal, Policy and Advocacy Officer. His legal practice has centred on extradition, criminal defence, and UNHCR proceedings in Egypt under the UN and AU refugee conventions. Stephen also has experience engaging with UN treaty bodies, the UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Procedures mandate-holders, and the ECOWAS Court of Justice. Stephen holds a master’s in law from the University of Bristol with a specialisation in international human rights law. He has written several publications on international law and child labour, and the criminalisation of homelessness.

Fedia Chabbeh

Grants Officer

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Mustapha Ghariani

Administrative Assistant

Mustapha has provided comprehensive administrative support to executives and teams in fast-paced environments thanks to his knowledge of Human Resources, office administration management systems and procedures. He holds a National Diploma and a University Degree in language, civilization and English literature from the Central University of Tunis and the High institute of Language of Tunis.

Pauline Baranes

Senior Legal Adviser

Pauline is a senior lawyer specialised in international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law. Prior to joining the ICJ she worked with the UN as a judicial affairs officer and was also a Legal Officer with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the International Criminal Court. She has a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement from the Sorbonne and a degree in International Affairs from Science Po.

Juliette Remond-Tiedrez

Associate Legal Adviser

Juliette is a qualified lawyer in France. Before joining the ICJ, she worked as a research fellow for the British Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and as a consultant for Human Rights Watch. She holds a Master’s in Public International Law from the University of Leiden and a Master’s in Criminal Law from Sorbonne University.

Olfa Yahiaoui

Finance Officer

Throughout her career, Olfa has gained extensive experience with both NGOs and the private sector in budget design and management, financial management and assessment, and a proven track record of successfully overseeing financial operations. Olfa has worked on projects focused on gender equality, climate justice and migrants’ rights. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the “Institut Supérieur de Gestion” in Tunis.

Africa

Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh

Director

Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh is a South African lawyer. She joined the ICJ in October 2020. She holds the B.Proc LLB degrees from the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu Natal). She was employed at Lawyers for Human Rights (South Africa) from 2002 – 2014 where she initially headed the Immigration Detention Monitoring Unit from 2002 – 2007 and thereafter as Manager of the Refugee and Migrants Rights Programme from 2007 – 2014. She was the Executive Director of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre from 2015 – 2020 where she led many strategic litigation cases focussing on various human rights issues, and in particular, judicial independence, Rule of Law, international criminal justice, freedom of expression and association. Kaajal was employed at the International Organization for Migration from 2001 – 2002. She has significant experience and expertise in the fields of asylum and refugee protection, migration, citizenship and statelessness. She also has experience in international criminal justice and freedom of expression. Kaajal sits probono on several boards of non-profit organisations. She was previously Board Chair of the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa from 2007 – 2011. She sat on the board of the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network from 2017 – 2020. She currently sits on the boards of the Centre for Child Law, South African History Archive, Sonke Gender Justice and is the Board Chair of Freedom House’s Advancing Rights in Southern Africa Programme.

Timothy Fish Hodgson

Senior Legal Adviser, ESC Rights

Tim joined the ICJ in October 2017. He is responsible for designing and implementing ICJ’s work around Economic, Social and Cultural rights in Africa and assists with ICJ’s global work on ESC rights and has worked in a range of countries including South Africa, Swaziland, India, Myanmar and Uzbekistan. Before joining the ICJ, he worked as a Senior Researcher at the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (2016 – 2017); as a Legal Researcher at SECTION27 (2013 – 2016); and as a law clerk for Justice Zakeria Yacoob at the Constitutional Court of South Africa (2011 – 2012). Tim has published various opinion pieces, book chapters, research reports, submissions to state and institutions, and peer-reviewed journal articles. He holds a Bachelor of Business Science (Hons) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Cape Town. He also holds a Master of Laws from the University of Michigan (2013) and a Master of Studies in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford (2017, with Distinction). Tim’s Master’s dissertation for this programme is titled ‘The Right to Inclusive Education in South Africa: Recreating Disability Apartheid through Failed Inclusion Policies’’. Twitter: @TimFish42.

Nomah Zibengwa

Regional Finance Officer

Nomah joined the ICJ in August 2018. She prepares financial reports for internal and external use and ensures the accuracy between narrative and financial reports to facilitate smooth audits for the ICJ. She has extensive experience in financial monitoring and tracking during implementation of projects to ensure compliance with organisational policies and guidelines as well as contractual obligations as per agreements with donors. Prior to joining ICJ, she has committed over 15 years of her career in serving the NGO sector in different capacities in the financial and grants management roles. She has worked at the International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS (INERELA+) Secretariat in South Africa from 2011 to 2018 where she rose to head the network’s financial and compliance functions. Between 2002 and 2010 she worked in Zimbabwe for the UZ-UCSF Research Programme, RfH and SIRDC. A member of the Institute of Risk Management South Africa, she holds a Bachelor of Accountancy Honours degree and is in the final stages of completing an international qualification in corporate governance and company secretaryship.

Wilson Macharia

Legal Adviser

Wilson is an international human rights law expert with over five years of experience in advocating for human rights, disability rights, digital inclusion and access to justice. As the lead of the disability rights portfolio for the Africa Regional Programme, and the co-lead of the global portfolio, Wilson conducts advocacy through legal research, capacity building and strategic litigation. He has engaged with various stakeholders including Judiciaries, National Human Rights Institutions, Civil Society, special mechanisms and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities at a national and international level.

Wilson has also been involved in national, regional and global advocacy efforts towards the implementation of the CRPD, and the coming into force, domestication, dissemination and implementation of the African Disability Protocol.

He previously worked as a Researcher and Tutor at the Center for Human Rights, University of Pretoria; has consulted for various organizations, including the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the World Bank Group; and played a key role in the development of Kenya’s National Standards on accessibility of ICT products and services. Wilson sits in the Caucus for Disability Rights Advocacy, tasked with providing technical expertise towards an inclusive implementation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

As a self-advocate with disability, Macharia employs various advocacy strategies to ensure the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in multiple sectors. The strategies include litigation; facilitating sensitization sessions worldwide; publishing blogs, articles, book chapters, podcasts and videos on disability inclusion; and participating in global events.

He holds a Law degree from the University of Nairobi, a Master of Laws (LL.M) from the University of Pretoria, and he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Laws (LL.D) from the same institution. He has also undertaken several advanced human rights courses and developed publications on various subjects.

Marishet Hamza

Legal Research Consultant

Marishet is a well-established researcher on the rights of persons with disabilities, with 8 years of work experience as an academician, researcher, advocate, and lawyer. Marishet works with the ARP team to research and promote the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa.

Asia & the Pacific

Melissa Upreti

Director

Melissa Upreti is an internationally recognized human rights lawyer who has spent over two decades promoting accountability for human rights by using national, regional and international law and mechanisms, and engaging with governments and civil society. She was appointed to the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, a Special Procedure of the Human Rights Council, in 2017. She served as Chair of the Working Group from 2021 – 2022 and is currently a Member of this Expert Group. She previously held leadership positions including as Senior Director of Program and Advocacy at the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership, Rutgers University (2017 – 2022,) where she focused on ending violence and harassment in the workplace and on addressing femicide. From 2000 – 2016, she led and established the Asia program at the Centre for Reproductive Rights, setting up the South Asia Reproductive Justice and Accountability Initiative (SARJAI), which produced legal precedents which have spurred law reform and accountability for reproductive rights in South Asia. Melissa has been notably affiliated with the University of Toronto Law Faculty’s International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program as a Fellow since 2017, and as Strategic Advisor to the Women’s Human Rights Education Institute (WHRI), since 2020. She has law degrees from India and Columbia Law School in the United States.

Reema Omer

Senior Legal Adviser, South Asia

Reema is a lawyer from Pakistan. She did an LLM specialising in public international law at the University of Cambridge in 2009. She was awarded the Commonwealth Pegasus scholarship in 2010 where she worked in barristers’ chambers in London on human rights cases. Reema joined the ICJ in 2011 as a South Asia consultant and since 2013 has served as ICJ’s International Legal Adviser for Pakistan, based in Lahore. Reema is a member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and writes regularly for national and international publications on issues of human rights, the Rule of Law and social justice.

Sanhawan Srisod

Legal Adviser, Thailand

Sanhawan is a lawyer with background in international humanitarian law and experience working on humanitarian issues in the violence-plagued deep south of Thailand with the ICRC. She also worked on an Australia-Asia Program to Combat Trafficking in Persons to strengthen national and regional (ASEAN) capacity of criminal justice responses to human trafficking. She has worked with a number of organisations dedicated to helping refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand, i.e. UNHCR and Asylum Access. She also worked in a law firm and was heavily involved in several high profile international cases. She got her LL.M. in Public International Law from Leiden University, the Netherlands, and her LL.B. in Laws from Ramkhamhaeng University, Thailand.

Nawawan Petchwattana

Programme & Finance Officer, SEAP

Nawawan joined the ICJ as an Administration Officer in June 2012. Her prior work experience includes working as an Administrative Associate at the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and as a Secretary in the Consular Section of the Turkish Embassy in Thailand. Nawawan holds a Master of Arts in Labor Economics and Human Resources Management from Chulalongkorn University and Bachelor of Arts degree from Ayutthaya Rajabhat University.

Pooja Shah

Administrator, South Asia

Pooja joined the ICJ in Kathmandu in May 2010. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Tribhuwan University and a Masters degree in Business Administration from Pokhara University. Prior to joining ICJ, she worked as an intern at Nabil Bank Limited and Himalayan Bank Limited.

Mandira Sharma

Senior Legal Adviser

Mandira has more than 20 years of experience in human rights and rule of law. Before joining the ICJ, she ran Advocacy Forum, a leading human rights organization in Nepal, where she led a team of more than 120 human rights defenders and lawyers, documenting, monitoring, litigating cases of human rights violations during Nepal’s conflict. She has worked in a range of international organisations and is known for her work challenging injustice through documentation, advocacy and litigation at both national and international levels. She has a Ph.D. in transitional justice from the University of Essex, United Kingdom on Transitional Justice and an LLM in international human rights law from the same university.

Laxmi Pokharel

National Legal Adviser

Prior to joining the ICJ, Laxmi practiced law and served as a Legal Aid Officer for 10 years in Legal Aid/ Access to Justice Project of Nepal Bar Association. She is involved in different research works of different organizations and has published articles in national journals related to human rights and women rights. She has an LL.M degree in Human Rights and Gender Justice from Purbanchal University in 2010 (Gold Medal). She was awarded the fellowship on International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) by US State Department in 2014.

Karuna Parajuli

National Legal Adviser

Karuna Parajuli is a human rights lawyer from Nepal. As a Legal Adviser at International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Nepal office. Parajuli is currently leading Economic Social and Cultural Rights initiatives and Disability rights and access to justice work in Nepal. Under the ICJ`s right to education advocacy campaign, Parajuli is working with the senior lawyers and public education experts of Nepal, to mentor young lawyers on strategic litigation for the right to education. Prior to joining the ICJ, Parajuli worked as a litigating lawyer. She holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex, UK. Her personal twitter handle( current x) is @pkrkaru

Kashiram Dhungana

National Legal Adviser

Kashiram joined the ICJ in August 2014 and is implementing the ICJ’s work on Transitional Justice (TJ) and accountability in Nepal. Prior to joining ICJ, he worked at Advocacy Forum Nepal as a Human Rights Lawyer / District & Regional Focal Person on Transitional Justice, Criminal Justice & Torture Prevention for nine years. He is a lawyer and has practiced law in the courts of Nepal. He has a Bachelors degree in law and a Masters degree in Political Science from Tribhuwan University, Nepal.

Mathurabhasini Thamilmaran (Mathuri)

Associate Legal Adviser

Mathuri is a Sri Lankan lawyer with more than 10 years of experience in human rights advocacy. She joined ICJ as National Legal Advisor: Sri Lanka in 2021. Prior to that she held research positions at multiple non-governmental organisations in Sri Lanka including the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust, the South Asian Center for Legal Studies (SACLS), and the Law & Society Trust amongst others. She was also the first Legal Researcher to join the Right to Information Commission of Sri Lanka when it was newly established. In that role, she assisted on drafting the Commission’s Rules on Appeals and Fees and the Commission’s Orders. She has an LL.M specialising in International Human Rights Law from the American University Washington College of Law, USA and an LL.B (Hons.) from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Saovanee Kaewjullakarn

Legal Consultant

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Caleen Chanyungco Obias

Legal Consultant

Caleen, a dual-qualified lawyer admitted to the bar in both the Philippines and New York, USA, has over a decade of legal experience. With extensive government background, having worked for Philippine government institutions including the Supreme Court, the House of Representatives, and the Commission on Human Rights, she offers a unique perspective on promoting human rights through the rule of law. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Ateneo de Manila University, she further pursued her legal education with a Juris Doctor Degree from the same institution. In addition to her legal career, she owns and operates a supplementary education program that enhances the skills of an average of 150 student per month.

Saugat Gautam

Programme Manager

Saugat’s background includes an extensive experience in project management, advocacy, administration, education, and training within the context of NGOs and INGOs in the South Asia region. He possesses proficient skills in monitoring and evaluation procedures, project planning and execution, team supervision, and budget development and monitoring. Saugat has strong focus on inclusive development, promoting good governance, and enhancing civil society organizations. Saugat holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science and is presently pursuing an MPhil Degree in Political Science at Tribhuvan University in Nepal.

Pratistha Basnet

Finance Officer

Pratistha Basnet has joined the ICJ from June 2012 as an Assistant Finance Officer. She is currently working as a finance officer in ICJ South Asia office based in Nepal. Prior to joining the ICJ, Pratistha has worked for 5 years in account and administration department in various private, non-government organizations. Pratistha holds MBA (Master of Business Administration), specialized in General Management, from Ace Institute of Management, Pokhara University, Nepal.

Shiwa Chaudhary

Administrative Assistant

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Latin America

Carolina Villadiego Burbano

Latin America Team Leader

Carolina is a Colombian lawyer, having graduated from the Universidad de los Andes. She also holds a Master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the University of George Washington in the United States, and a Master’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO). Her professional experience has focused on justice systems and their connection to human rights in Latin America, and on developing advocacy strategies in these fields. She has also been a teacher at several universities in Colombia. Prior to joining the ICJ, she worked with the Center for Law, Justice and Society Studies (Dejusticia) of Colombia, the Justice Studies Center of the Americas (JSCA) and the Ombudsman’s Office in Colombia.
Maria Angelica Porto M.

Program and Finance Officer

A Colombian native,  María Angélica holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Universidad Javeriana in Bogota and a Master’s degree in International Cooperation and International Organisms from the Universitat de Barcelona in Spain. She joined the ICJ in March 2021 and has previously worked for various regional and international NGOs and organisations, like the United Nations, in countries such as Colombia, the United States, Spain and Portugal. With more than 10 years of experience in human rights project’s management, she has managed multiple projects specifically in the areas of transparency and anti-corruption, public-private initiatives for security, as well as children and women’s economic and social inclusion.

Carlos Lusverti

Legal Adviser Consultant

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Juan Felipe Velez Rojas

Communication Consultant

Juan Felipe Vélez Rojas is a Colombian journalist and communications specialist with over 12 years of experience in digital journalism, strategic communications, and multimedia content creation. His work focuses on human rights, international affairs, and social justice, combining in-depth analysis with compelling storytelling. He has collaborated with international organizations, media outlets, and government institutions throughout his career, producing articles, reports, interviews, infographics, and videos that inform and inspire action. He has worked with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Anadolu Agency, the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá, among others.

Dunia Ramirez Moino

 
 

Legal Adviser

Dunia Ramirez Moino is a Guatemalan lawyer who graduated from Universidad Rafael Landivar with advanced studies in Human Rights and Constitutional Law with over 20 years of professional experience. Before joining the ICJ, Dunia worked with public instititutions in Guatemala, as well as with civil society and international organizations. She worked at the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) as legal officer over 10 years where she focussed on providing technical and legal assistance on anti-corruption and rule of law issues.  She was previously the Coordinator of the Unified Registry and Attention to Enforced Disappearances at the Ombudsman’s Office in Guatemala between 2008-2009 and she was a Romulo Gallegos fellow at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 2006.

Development & Donor Relations

Sarah Le Mesurier

Director, Programmes and Donor Engagement

Sarah has over 20 years of international development experience working across the Middle East, Africa and Asia with expertise in business and programme development, strategic planning, donor engagement, revenue and resource mobilisation, learning capture and programme management, particularly in complex and fragile settings. She has technical expertise in conflict prevention and reduction with focus areas that include early recovery, counter recruitment, reintegration and rehabilitation of former combatants, and sustainable youth livelihood development working with private sector partners. She has a Master’s degree from the University of St Andrews in the UK.

Jane Johnson

Head of Fundraising

Jane has over 20 years’ experience working in the development sector, the last 6 of which have been as a freelance consultant. She worked for many years with Christian Aid and has since worked with many of the larger NGOs. She has extensive experience in designing and delivering multi-partner community, health, rights and emergency projects and a proven track record in successful fundraising. She is used to working to tight deadlines and thrives in a busy environment.

Janie Crocco

Head of Grants Management and Donor Compliance

Janie advises and supports the ICJ regional teams to ensure that project  management and implementation are in compliance with donor rules and applicable regulations, and she works closely with ICJ headquarters to identify and address risks and challenges. She brings several years of experience working on program design and management in the areas of economic development, gender equity and diversity leadership. Her background includes legal advocacy work on migration and poverty law issues, and grants management for both grantee and donor organizations, including the U.S. Department of State.  Janie holds a BA in Government & International Relations and an MA in International Development from Clark University, and a JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Marina Boca

Communications & Governance Officer

Marina Boca is a multilingual Digital Marketing and Content Management Specialist with more than 10 years of professional experience. She started her career in the private sector in New York and Milan before moving to Geneva working for international organisations such as WIPO, HQAI and WHO in the field of communication, web publication and as a consultant. She has a Master’s in Marketing, Digital Communication & Sales Management and a Postgraduate Master’s degree in Languages and Culture for International Communication and Cooperation.

Finance & Administration

Adina Marcu

Head of Accounting

After working in finance and administration for 12 years in the Romanian private sector, Adina joined the ICJ as an assistant accountant in April 2018. Her dedication and passion, combined with the completion of her accounting studies in Switzerland, advanced her to the Senior Finance position within our team. In this role, she supports the implementation of the accounting and finance activities by supervising the data management procedures and advancing the techniques for identifying and controlling financial risks.

Lilly Langbehn

HR Manager

Lilly leads the HR function, driving initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness and employee engagement. She ensures compliance with labor laws and promotion of best practices. She brings several years of experience in HR roles with humanitarian NGOs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. She holds a BSc Economics/Finance, an MA in International Humanitarian Aid and the Swiss HRSE certificate. As an HR professional, she sees her role as supporting others to grow into their full potential.

Charlotte Kristjansson

Director Admninistration and Finance

Charlotte is a Senior International Finance Professional with 25 years of experience, specializing in building sustainable foundations for companies and organisations. She has worked in Senior Finance Positions for large corporations such as Infineopn Technologies and as Finance Director for NGOs (IRU and Child Rights Eurasia) and SMEs (Transmedia SA, Game Group Plc, Ipsos and Rexam Beverage Group). She joined ICJ in 2023 after having supported the organisation on various missions as a management consultant. With a focus on optimizing financial planning, reporting, and analysis, she is instrumental in the decision-making processes for companies and organizations. Charlotte holds a University Degree in Business and Administration from Lunds University in Sweden and an Executive MBA from Lausanne Business School in Switzerland.

Iryna Hram

Finance Officer

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Bayanne Fattouh

HR & Admin Associate

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