who we are
about The Human Rights Legal Project
The Human Rights Legal Project is a small organisation, challenging big power. We are politically and financially independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. Our independence enables us to continue our work with integrity and act in full accordance with our principles and values.
our vision
A safe and dignified migration and asylum system in the European Union that upholds the human rights of all individuals.
our vALUES
We commit to living our values
so that we can be known for our integrity. This means incorporating our value system into our governance, management,
and operational structures,
and nurturing a culture of
continuous learning and reflection.
OUR TEAM
Born as a collaborative civil society initiative, we are a dynamic group of human rights lawyers, advocates, and community activists. Our office is located in Vathy, Samos, and our Board Members support remotely from different international locations.
STAFF
Dimitrios Choulis
Lead Human Rights Lawyer
Dimitrios is a criminal lawyer from Samos. Before co-founding the HRLP in 2020, he was representing asylum seekers and refugees being criminalised on the island since 2010. He graduated from Athens law school.
Quitterie Pinton
Legal
Coordinator
Quitterie joined the Human Rights Legal Project after working in asylum law and human rights in Lesvos, Samos and France. She specializes in international human rights law and foreigners’ law. She holds an LLM in Public International law and an MA in Comparative Law.
Arno Tanner
Project
Manager
Arno comes from a diverse background with several years of hands-on experience in migration related projects. After years of active involvement on the Greek islands, he worked in Switzerland, focusing on communication, campaigning, and network building. In recent years, he has coordinated community centre and medical aid projects, and participated in civil Search and Rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean.
Joanna Pamoukoglou
Head of communications
Joanna is a journalist from Athens, active in the field of migration & solidarity in Greece since 2016, specializing in the social integration and empowerment of people on the move. She holds a BSc in Social Sciences from the University of Bath and a MSc in Political Communication from the University of Amsterdam.
co-founders & Board members
Stefan
Stefan is a migration and humanitarian professional with extensive field and management experience both with grassroots and large organisations. Previously, he was the Project Manager for HRLP on Samos. Currently, he works in the integration field—supporting asylum seekers and refugees to build dignified lives in their new communities in Switzerland.
Elli Kriona
Elli is a lawyer specializing in human rights & asylum law. Her work includes domestic and international strategic litigation, legal representation, and advocacy related to access to asylum, human rights violations, the criminalization of migration and the accountability of EU institutions. She holds an LLM in Public International Law.
Bláithín Quigley
Bláithín is a human rights advocate with a focus on refugee and environmental protection. She has extensive experience in protection training, legal advising for asylum seekers and refugees, and NGO management with the UNHCR and civil society in the European migration sector. She holds an LLM in Public International Law.
Mathilde Albert
Mathilde specializes in foreigners' law. She has experience in providing legal advice to asylum seekers and refugees and in managing associative projects. She has mainly worked on the European asylum system and border management. She holds an MA in Conflict and Development.
Molly Brady-Martin
Molly is a human rights professional, currently working in humanitarian and child rights advocacy and policy. Her previous experience spans direct humanitarian response, minority rights, anti-racism, and NGO management. She has an MA in International Security.
Sarah Louise Evans
Currently residing in the UK, Sarah is a lead caseworker for a human rights organisation that works with unaccompanied asylum seekers. Her professional background is based on access to education for minority groups including the homeless, displaced youth, and incarcerated persons.
Vittoria Catalfamo
Vittoria is a human rights advocate with migration expertise ranging from direct assistance in humanitarian settings to advocacy, community activism, and NGO management. She holds an MA in Human Rights and Democratisation.
our STORY
Our co-founders met on Samos in 2020, while working for different organisations. United by their belief in equal justice for all, the Human Rights Legal Project was born.
In early 2020, the Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) on Samos reached record levels of overcrowding. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated an already tense environment, leading to a spike in violence and violations against the displaced community. Legal organisations were running at full capacity to support individuals with their asylum cases, which left human rights violations unchallenged.
The death of a RIC resident, who was unlawfully denied medical assistance, catalysed the transformation of an idea into a reality - the Human Rights Legal Project was founded to challenge impunity and seek justice for them and their family.
Since then, HRLP strives to ensure that people on the move are treated with fairness and dignity, and holds authorities accountable to their national and international human rights obligations.
