Management
Anders L. Pettersson, Executive Director
Anders L. Pettersson most recently led and developed the children’s rights organisation ECPAT Sweden for almost five years as the Secretary General. He has extensive experience of working at an international level and has previously worked as an Executive Officer for the Management Team of UNICEF’s National Committees. He has also worked at Sida, where he coordinated Sweden’s participation in peacekeeping operations and served in the Swedish Foreign Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as well as in Croatia and Bosnia (UNPROFOR). Anders holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in international relations from Stockholm University.
To contact Anders L. Pettersson or the Executive Office, please reach out to Alexander Lange, Special Assistant to the Executive Director.
Ana Furtuna, Director Eurasia Department
Ana holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the State University of Moldova and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Academy of Public Administration. Prior to this, she held the position of Executive Director for the Non-Discrimination Coalition (CND), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to strengthening equality and protecting against discrimination within Moldovan society. In 2011, she was part of the CND team lobbying for the adoption of the Law on ensuring equality and creation of the Council for preventing and eliminating discrimination and ensuring equality.
Anna Magnard, Development Director
Anna holds a master’s degree in International Economics and Politics from Jönköping International Business School. Before joining Civil Rights Defenders in May 2017, Anna worked with Corporate and Major Donor Relations at SOS Children’s Villages Sweden for nine years. She has also worked for the French export council in Stockholm, Business France.
Erik Jennische, Director Latin America Department
Erik holds a Master’s degree in Sociology specialising in democratisation processes. He has worked with democracy promotion in Latin America as well as the Balkans and Eastern Europe. From 2010-2013 he worked as a journalist in Brazil, and before joining Civil Rights Defenders in 2014 he was a researcher at Swedwatch.
Gabrielle Gunneberg, Global Programme Director
Gabrielle holds a MA in Political Science and Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and Lund University. Prior to joining Civil Rights Defenders, her last assignments were at CONCORD Sweden and at the World Bank, where she focused on development and human rights issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She has also studied journalism at JMK in Stockholm. She worked extensively as a journalist and together with civil society organisations in South, Southeast and East Asia.
Goran Miletic, Director Europe and MENA Department and Deputy Global Programme Director
Goran holds a Master of Laws from Belgrade University and an MA from the European Regional Master on Democracy and Human Rights in Sarajevo. He began working for Civil Rights Defenders in 2004 as a Programme Officer for the Western Balkans. Today he is Director for the Europe Department.
John Stauffer, Legal Director and Deputy Executive Director
John is a human rights lawyer with a Master of Laws from Stockholm University. He has previously worked for the Ombudsman Against Ethnic Discrimination and the Equality Ombudsman where he was responsible for investigating cases of discrimination. John also spent time in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the conflict working with human rights. During his four years working with the OSCE mission, John initially focused on creating conditions for the return of displaced persons. Later on, as the Director of the Human Rights Department, he was responsible for the organisation’s work on issues such as war crimes, rule of law, minority rights, economic and social rights. He joined Civil Rights Defenders in March 2013.
Karin Ancker, Chief Financial Officer
Karin Ancker holds a bachelor of science degree in business, economics and marketing from Mälardalen University and joined Civil Rights Defenders in September 2019. Karin has extensive experience from both the private and the public sector. For the last ten years, she has worked in roles such as Head of Strategy, CFO, HR Manager, Head of Business Support and Senior Project Manager. The overall theme in these roles has been to drive and implement change as well as building a strong team.
Marcin de Kaminski, Security and Innovation Director
Marcin holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and joined at Civil Rights Defenders in 2018. Before that, he worked as a representative for freedom of expression/ICT at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), focusing on digital security and internet freedom issues. Marcin has a background as a legal sociologist and internet researcher, with special expertise within the borderland between technology and human rights.
Maria Granefelt, Communications Director
Maria holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and sinology from Stockholm University and joined Civil Rights Defenders in November 2018. Maria has extensive experience in working with communication issues in both the business and civil society sector. For the last ten years, she worked with human rights and trade at Fairtrade Sweden, as both Head of Communications and Acting Secretary General.
Mesfin Negash, Director Africa Department
Mesfin holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Addis Ababa University and an MA in Journalism from Södertörn University. Mesfin was the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of a popular newspaper in Ethiopia. Later, the government accused and sentenced him in a politically motivated trial for “supporting terrorism”. Continuing his journalism and human rights activism in exile, he joined Civil Rights Defenders in 2012. Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders in Sweden awarded him prizes for his contribution to freedom of speech.