Staff

Stichting Russian Justice Initiative (Moscow)

Ole Solvang, Executive Director

Ole Solvang has previously worked for Human Rights Watch in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He holds a Master of International Affairs with a concentration in human rights and the former Soviet Union from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Ole also holds a regional certificate in Eurasian studies from the Harriman Institute at Columbia University.

Roemer Lemaitre, Legal Director

Before joining RJI Roemer worked as a Research Fellow for the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO) at the Institute for International Law at the University of Leuven (Belgium). His research focused on the role of international law in strengthening the rule of law in Russia. Roemer studied law and philosophy in Leuven and in 2000 earned his LL.M. from Columbia University. Between 2000 and 2002, he studied law and international relations at Moscow and Saint-Petersburg State Universities. He has also interned with Human Rights Watch (New York and Moscow). He has published on Chechnya, on «closed cities» (ZATOs), on the rule of law in Russia, and on Belgium's universal jurisdiction legislation.

Elena Ezhova, Moscow Office Director and Lawyer

In 1999, Elena Ezhova founded the Obshchestvo Pomoshchi Osuzhdennym (Prisoners’ Aid Society), which provides legal counsel to prisoners and other detainees. She has previously served as legal counsel to the anti-domestic violence organization ANNA (No to Violence) and as a hotline operator at Syostri (Sisters). Elena holds a law degree from the Moscow State Social University (MSSU).

Andrei Nikolaev, Senior Lawyer

In addition to his work at RJI, Andrei serves as a law instructor at the Moscow State Social University (MSSU), where he lectures on constitutional and comparative law and the European Court of Human Rights. He holds a PhD in Law from Moscow State Social University (MSSU) and has completed a training course on "Protection of human rights in the European Court" organised by the International Protection Center and INTERIGHTS. In addition, he has participated in several human rights trainings in Poland and the Netherlands, including the International Advanced Course on Human rights (Warsaw, Poland, 2006-07). He has co-authored a series of books on the impact of the European Court of Human Rights.  

Anastasia Maltseva, Lawyer

Anastasia Maltseva is active in several grassroots human rights initiatives, including a project on the rights of conscripts to alternative service. She holds a law degree from the Ural State Law Academy, and has completed the International course on Human Rights (The Helsinki Comittee for Human Rights, Warsaw).

Olga Ezhova, Moscow Office Manager/Legal Assistant

Olga Ezhova graduated from the Kazan State Pedagogical University with a degree from the Russian Philological Department. She also holds a certificate from the Fifth International Summer School for Human Rights, organized in Moscow August 2005.  

Ludmila Polshikova, Legal Assistant

Ludmila Polshikova holds a PhD in Literary Theory from the Russian State Humanitarian University (RGGU), 2002. She has also worked as a schoolteacher and written numerous book reviews for the Moscow Times newspaper. In 2004 she served as the primary editor for the Transatlantic Partnership against AIDS publication “Policy Analysis: Abandonment of Children Born to HIV-Positive Mothers in Russia.

Pravovaia Initsiativa (Ingushetia)

Arsen Sakalov, Coordinator

Arsen Sakalov is the founder and director of Pravovaia Initsiativa. He worked for four years as a research consultant for Human Rights Watch in Ingushetia, and previously worked as a schoolteacher. He holds a certificate from the Winter 2002 International Human Rights School held in Warsaw, Poland. In 2005 Arsen received the Swedish Per Anger Prize.

Tanzila Arsamakova, Research Assistant

Tanzila Arsamakova has worked as research assistant for Pravovaia Initsiativa since February 2002. She holds a degree in economics form Moscow State Press Univerisity and a certificate from the International Helsinki Federation’s Winter School, held in Moscow in February 2004.

Dokka Itslaev, Part-time Researcher

Dokka Itslaev is the director of the Urus-Martan (Chechnya) branch of the human rights organization Memorial. He has worked with Pravovaia Initsiativa part time since April 2003 and assists in maintaining contacts with clients in several regions of Chechnya and also drafts legal documents for local courts and the European Court of Human Rights.