Karina is a Master’s student in Transnational Governance at the European University Institute. Her research focuses on migrant integration, citizenship policies, populism, and EU enlargement. She has experience across public and private sectors in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North America, contributing to policy research, project coordination, and human rights initiatives.

Raul has recently graduated with a Master in International Relations from the London School of Economics. He is passionate about digital rights, having conducted research on the German far-right’s use of TikTok and on the diffusion of platform regulation norms from the Global South to Europe. Raul did his undergraduate studies in Amsterdam, where he also worked as a cook. Currently, he is based in Frankfurt.

Eleanor graduated with a Law with Philosophy undergraduate degree from University College Dublin, which included one year studying abroad in Berlin. She then went on to complete an interdisciplinary social sciences master, whose international research programme took her to Germany, the Czech Republic and India. Before joining Liberties, she was an advocate for Irish emigrants experiencing homelessness. She loves examining pressing social issues through storytelling and is interested in the influence of technology on human behaviour.

Michaela Brzezinka began her international dance career after studying stage dance at the AHK (Amsterdam University of the Arts). After completing further training in journalism, she increasingly devoted herself to freelance work as a journalist for Japanese media outlets (NHK and Yomiuri Shimbun) and at the same time began working as a line producer and production manager for documentaries for Arte and ZDF. She joined Liberties in 2017.

Csilla joined Liberties with over 15 years of experience in non-profit organizations, developing and implementing projects in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. She studied political science in Germany and later graduated with a Master of Human Rights Law from the Central European University in Hungary. Dedicated to a rights-based approach, Csilla worked and volunteered with small and big organizations alike: Amnesty International, Mental Disability Advocacy Center, the Open Society Institute Harm Reduction Program and Relief International, just to name a few. Based in Berlin, Csilla joined Liberties in 2021, and got promoted as Head of Operations and Development in January 2025.

Israel trains and mentors campaigners and civil servants to develop winning messages that build support for progressive causes. Before retraining in strategic communications he led the advocacy teams at Liberties and the Open Society European Policy Institute promoting democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in the EU, and was a legal researcher and speech writer at the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. He has a PhD in international law and began his career as a lecturer. He has published two books, numerous policy papers, peer-reviewed articles and opinion pieces in EU-focused media outlets.

Jonathan works on the Liberties advocacy team, having previously worked on the communications team and leading the video advocacy program. Before joining Liberties in 2017, he worked in Budapest with the European Liberties Platform, interned with the Mexican chapter of Transparency International, and did video production work in the United States. He holds a Master of Public Policy from Central European University and a BA in political science from Trinity College.

Jerome is a software engineer with over 7 years of experience, specializing in building robust, scalable solutions for businesses. He joined Liberties to help develop technology that supports digital rights and civil liberties across Europe. Driven by a passion for creating impactful software, he is committed to using his skills to drive positive change.

Cecilia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Parma, where her thesis focused on human rights violations during the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests in Iran. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Multi-Level Governance at University of Padova, during which she has developed a strong academic focus on human rights protection, global policy challenges, and discrimination. Her studies have involved the analysis of cases such as the persecution of Uyghurs in China, and early, child and forced marriage in South Sudan. She has a strong interest in women’s rights and gender equality, and she hopes to pursue a professional career with an international NGO engaged in the reporting and monitoring of human rights violations worldwide.

Niamh is a recent law graduate from the University of Edinburgh with a traineeship in legal research and communications at the Court of Justice of the European Union, where she focused on EU human rights legislation. Originally from Northern Ireland, her interest in human rights was inspired by growing up in a post-conflict society, and she hopes to build a career in NGO or academic research on European human rights, rule of law, and rights-based advocacy. Niamh will begin a Master’s in Legal Research at Utrecht University in September 2026 and is currently based in Berlin.

Jessica began her career as a classically trained musician. Her interest in social issues and technology later led her to editorial work, focused on cybersecurity and digital media. She is now based in Germany where she studies Applied Computer Science and works on music and software development projects. At Liberties, she supports the communications team with data stack and cybersecurity work.

Kersty is a human rights lawyer with over 18 years’ experience working for civil society organisations and national human rights institutions. She qualified as a lawyer in the UK, worked in Rwanda, Kenya and the Gambia and then for more than a decade in Brussels for the Open Society Justice Initiative – always with a focus on access to justice and civic space.

For Liberties Kersty supports members through advocacy, trainings, research and legal advice. Over the past years Kersty has designed and taught several courses on human rights and civic space at the Global Campus of Human Rights in Beirut, Venice and Yerevan.

Olivia holds a degree in Politics and International Relations and has experience working across civil society and local government. She has worked to support vulnerable and marginalised communities, including children and adults in institutional care, migrants, and individuals experiencing homelessness and food poverty, in both the UK and international contexts. Her professional career is focused on advancing human rights through NGO advocacy and policy reform, with a particular emphasis on the protection of civil liberties and marginalised groups internationally. She is currently based in Scotland.

Mette has completed her Bachelor’s in European Studies at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in the region of Eastern Europe. In her latest research she analyzed the evolution of EU Foreign Policy discourse towards the Republic of Moldova, highlighting the Union’s broader struggle to reconcile its liberal values with hard power realities in a contested geopolitical space. She is really passionate about the field of Political Theory as she believes that critical reflection on power, rights, and justice is key to promoting a more inclusive and democratic society and intends to pursue a Master’s in a related field.

Simona recently completed a Bachelor's degree in European Studies at the University of Amsterdam, where her thesis explored the sufficiency of the GDPR and the AI Act in safeguarding neural data in emerging neurotechnologies. With a strong interest in digital rights and artificial intelligence, she has joined Liberties as a Research and Advocacy Assistant volunteer, contributing to projects related to the AI Act.

Ilina joined Liberties in 2022 as Network Coordinator and CERV Programme Manager, bringing extensive experience in leading and strengthening international civil society networks. Since March 2026, she serves as Executive Director.

Over the past decade, Ilina has held senior leadership roles in prominent regional and global networks. She served as Executive Director of Accountable Now, a global network of international NGOs focused on accountability and transparency, and of the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), a regional platform uniting 14 leading civil society organisations across the Balkans and Turkey. In these roles, she led strategic development, governance processes, cross-border partnerships and advocacy initiatives at European and international levels. Her work has centred on advancing an enabling environment for civil society, strengthening CSO capacity and accountability, addressing shrinking civic space, and promoting meaningful civil society participation in policymaking.
Ilina holds a Master’s degree in European Studies, specialising in Strategic Communication and Public Relations in Europe, from the University of Lorraine, France.

Franziska joined Liberties after graduating with a Master in International Studies from Aarhus University in Denmark. In her research, she focused on the efforts of the European Union against disinformation. She works on issues concerning freedom of expression, targeted political advertisement, transparency of big platforms, as well as doing research for the Civics Monitor.

Muhammad Umer Pervaiz joined Liberties as a part time accountant in 2018 and currently is a Finance Consultant. He is involved in preparation of Liberties' financial reports and project accounting. Before joining Liberties full time in 2023, he has worked as a financial accountant with Life Healthcare Group and Phrase GmbH, where he has been involved in the ERP project implementation of SAP and NetSuite. He has also has extensive knowledge of German GAAP and IFRS and holds a certification of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Holly is currently pursuing admission to the New York Bar. She holds an LLB in Law with Global Law from Queen Mary University of London, including a year in Shanghai as an Erasmus+ scholar. During her studies, she volunteered with organisations including IPSEA, advising on children’s educational rights, and JUSTICE, where she assessed Rule of Law compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also delivered courses on digital consent and image-based safety to local schools. Holly has since worked in operations within the technology sector. She is particularly interested in how AI and emerging technologies intersect with law, and how they shape policy at both global and local levels.

Anastasiia joined Liberties after earning an LLM in Human Rights from Central European University. She previously worked as a junior lawyer in Russia, specialising in corporate and migration law, drafting legal opinions, and contributing to legal reviews. Inspired by her experience growing up in a country with restricted civic freedoms, her interests include human rights law, civic space protections, and anti-corruption.

Sophie is a Brussels-based policy analyst focusing on EU politics and institutions, rule of law and democracy. She is senior adviser at the European Policy Centre, teaches at Sciences Po Paris and is the author of the book "Am Ende der gewohnten Ordnung: Warum wir Macht neu denken müssen" ("At the end of the known order - why we need to rethink power"). She previously worked as Deputy Director for Europe Jacques Delors and as a Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre. She is a PhD candidate at Maastricht University, researching the development of European sovereignty in EU policy-making.

Olga is a human rights lawyer focusing on freedom of expression, fair trial rights, and civic space. She holds an LL.M. in Human Rights from Central European University, where she researched state repression of defense attorneys in Russia and its impact on the rule of law and professional independence. Before moving to Vienna, she worked with human rights organizations, providing legal assistance and contributing to international litigation before the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee. Olga is now based in Vienna.

Orsolya focuses on democracy, civic discourse, elections, and the influence of social platforms in the EU. She holds a PhD from Central European University and was previously a lecturer at Princeton University and a visiting fellow at Harvard University.
Since joining Liberties in 2017, she has led key projects on civic space, microtargeting, and COVID app regulation. Last year, she oversaw election ad monitoring in six EU countries. This year, her work focuses on advocating for and ensuring the effective enforcement of the Digital Services Act.

Jesús is a recent Political Science graduate from Western Washington University with experience working for the U.S. House of Representatives. Based out of Vancouver, WA, he is currently a Congress-Bundenstag Young professional. His interest in transatlantic affairs has brought him to Germany for two years to further his research on U.S.-European politics. Jesús began a Master’s in International Affairs at Friedrich-Schiller University in September 2025 and is currently based in Jena.

Eva is a human rights lawyer with special focus on digital rights, currently working as a senior advocacy officer at Liberties. She is responsible for freedom of expression and privacy. Besides her EU-level advocacy work, Eva works on strategic litigation across EU member states, most recently on the enforcement of General Data Protection Regulation, which was reported by the New York Times, Reuters and Bloomberg. She has been active in the human rights field for more than ten years. Prior to joining the NGO scene, Eva worked as a media lawyer and a researcher. She was a research fellow at Central European University (2006), the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, New York, USA (2005), and at the Technical University of Budapest, Hungary (2001-2005).

She has authored several expert studies, book chapters and articles on privacy and media freedom.

Maximilian is a programmer from Germany. He helps Liberties with data infrastructure and workflows, drawing on his previous experience in the fashion industry where he gained first-hand insight into how teams interact with and consume data. This background helps him create practical solutions from automating previously manual worksteps or bringing efficiency to processes that can't be fully automated.

Valentin graduated at ELTE University in Budapest, where he studied media & communications, English literature and history. He has experience across the communications spectrum - from digital journalism, to building love brands and startups, to managing market-leading enterprises as a board member. Working mostly in business environment with global brands, Valentin launched numerous social programmes, and helped NGOs grow as a pro bono expert. He held seminars on strategic communications for international students at ELTE University. Valentin loves getting lost in nature, as well as eating pasta with poppy seed (mákos tészta).