Who We Are

About us

The AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe) is a specialist non-governmental organisation established in 1993 that promotes the implementation of European and international law. To find out more about work of the Centre please visit www.airecentre.org

For twenty five years, the AIRE Centre has built a strong reputation for expertise in the Western Balkans where it has been conducting a series of long-term rule of law programmes in partnership with domestic institutions and courts. The AIRE Centre’s Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme (AIRE Centre WB Programme) now works in close cooperation with ministries of justice, judicial training institutes, courts, and prosecutors to lead, support and assist long term rule of law reform and anti-corruption projects. The AIRE Centre WB Programme also cooperates with the NGO sector across the region to help foster legal reform and respect for fundamental rights. The Programme works to promote and facilitate the proper implementation of international legal and human rights instruments, assist the process of European integration by strengthening the rule of law, and encourage cooperation amongst judges and legal professionals across the region.

Mission and Vision

We bring lasting reform to the law and practice of the countries in the region. Our work leads to improvements in the rights of citizens; underpins political stability; helps combat organised crime and corruption; and it enhances the conditions for economic prosperity.

We want the region to reaches internationally recognised standards of rule of law and justice and to demonstrably improve the rights of all citizens.

History

The AIRE Centre has been working to promote the rule of law, human rights and democratic values in the Western Balkans since 1999. Our initial activities were launched in Serbia and in Montenegro in 1999 and expanded in the mid 2000’s to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia and Kosovo. Over the past two decades, the organisation has built a reputation for making a positive impact and demonstrating a track record of success.

The AIRE Centre is known for its political impartiality and its collaborative approach to working with practitioners. This has allowed the organisation to secure cooperation and learning across jurisdictions and the region, leading to measurable improvements in judicial processes and legislative instruments.

The AIRE Centre prides itself on working to high standards and delivering both high-quality and pragmatic materials. The organisation has always aimed to identify and meet the needs of the communities it serves. Our work on asylum and on the protection of human rights during the COVID-19 pandemic are two key examples of this.

For more information about the AIRE Centre’s recent work, please visit: What We Do.

Our team

The team is driven by a set of values, which are:

Excellence in all we do, delivering to high standards, only taking work where we can deliver to those standards, improving our own effectiveness so we can more smoothly deliver to those standards.
Trust and support, with the team feeling empowered to deliver and to take initiative, learning from mistakes in a positive way.
Accountability for delivering to high standards, always seeking to ensure substantive delivery and real-world impact, facing up to challenges honestly.
Openness, always seeking to reach out to colleagues and partner organisations to develop and share knowledge collaboratively.

Biljana Braithwaite

Western Balkans Programme Director

Biljana leads the AIRE Centre’s Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme. She has over twenty years’ experience developing, funding and delivering more than fifty rule of law projects, ranging from strengthening national judiciaries and other forms of technical assistance, human rights training, legislative reform, and the fight against corruption, often in partnership with local civil society. A lawyer by training with degrees from Belgrade University and Lund University’s Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Biljana began her career at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and has been associated with the AIRE Centre since 1998. She founded and co-edits the professional legal bulletin, Human Rights in Europe, now over 150 editions. She has also co-edited a series of guides for judges, decision makers and practitioners in South East Europe on freedom of expression, international child protection, and European asylum law. She is a member of the boards of the AIRE Centre USA and International Bridges to Justice. She is a founding partner Sustineri Partners, a consultancy working with companies and other organisations to put sustainability at the heart of their business.

Project Managers

Sabina Đapo

Programme Manager
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Nevena Kostić

Senior Legal Adviser
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Đina Popović

Project Manager, Montenegro Rule of Law Project
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Martina Raguž

Project Manager, BiH Rule of Law Project
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Legal experts

Tijana Badnjar

Young Judges Network Co-ordinator
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Catharina Harby

Senior Legal Consultant
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Vanja Radević

Senior Legal Adviser
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Press and communications

Amina Hujdur

Outreach and Communications Manager
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Office management and project support

Azra Bećirović

Office Manager
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Minja Trnka

Office Manager Assistant
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Andrew Jackson

Organisation consultant
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Associates

Elma Veledar Arifagić

Senior Legal Adviser
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Vesna Mijić

Associate
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Jelena Rašovič

Senior Legal Adviser
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Selma Učanbarlić

Media Expert
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Sabina Đapo

Programme Manager
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Sabina supports a number of key AIRE Centre projects and leads the Centre’s work on monitoring and evaluation. She has 20+ years of experience in programme and project management within international and multinational organizations, with extensive achievements in strategic planning, programme and project development and implementation, performance review and evaluation. A particular focus of her work is on good governance, accountability and transparency and economic development. For the past 5 years, her primary focus was on gender equality with specific focus on economic empowerment of women. During COVID-19, Sabina organized number of sessions with universities across BiH on misrepresentation of women in public life, reaching over 300 students and professors. When working at the British Embassy in Sarajevo, Sabina worked on development of the Gender pledge, an internal document listing the commitments of the organisation towards equal rights of men and women.

Nevena Kostić

Senior Legal Adviser
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Nevena leads the AIRE Centre’s project on asset recovery which aims to strengthen regional co-operation (in partnership with RAI) in this critical area. Nevena joined AIRE Centre in 2021. She holds a Master’s degree on EU Legislation from the Law Faculty, University of Belgrade and a Masters in International Business Law from Queen’s University in Belfast. Nevena is a lawyer with experience in policy development and project management. Her focus was on analysing international standards and national legislation, as well as reviewing legal remedies, grievance, and protection mechanisms. She started her career at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights where she worked on human rights implementation and policy in anti-discrimination, prohibition of torture, and forced labour. She is the author and co-author of comprehensive human rights reports and policy documents.

Đina Popović

Project Manager, Montenegro Rule of Law Project
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Đina leads the AIRE Centre’s work on the Rule of Law in Montenegro. She has worked on a number of previous AIRE Centre projects, starting as a project assistant in 2014. Her work has included the preparation of numerous publications on the subject of the European Convention and the European Court of Human Rights. Đina graduated from the Faculty of Law on University of Montenegro. She started her working career as a legal adviser in the Office of the Representative of Montenegro before the European Court of Human Rights. She then moved to Ministry of Justice of Montenegro as a legal adviser in the Cabinet of the Minister. She was subsequently appointed as an adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister for the Political System, Internal and Foreign Policy. During her career she has attended numerous seminars and training sessions on the topic of human rights protection.

Martina Raguž

Project Manager, BiH Rule of Law Project
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Martina is the Project Manager of Bosnia and Herzegovina Rule of Law project. She graduated in law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Mostar. Her professional career started within the national judicial system working as an intern. She then became Legal Officer and Legal Adviser at the Legal Department of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. From 2014, Martina worked as a legal professional for trial panel judges trying individuals for War Crimes and Organised Crimes and Corruption in BiH. In 2019 Martina passed the Bar Exam of the Federal Bar Association. As an FCDO Chevening Scholar, Martina took an LLM in International Law from the University of Westminster, London. Throughout her professional career Martina has undertaken numerous national and international training programmes, including at the FBIH Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centre.

Tijana Badnjar

Young Judges Network Co-ordinator
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Tijana is Secretary of the Network of Young Judges established under the auspices of the AIRE Centre. She started working in co-operation with the AIRE Centre in 2018 and since then she has participated in several conferences and prepared legal guides dedicated to the ECHR standards and case law of the Strasbourg Court. She holds a Masters in international relations and European studies. She was also awarded a Chevening scholarship by the British Embassy in Podgorica. Tijana currently serves as a judge at the Basic Court in Podgorica. Prior to her judicial appointment, she worked at the Ministry of Justice, Administrative Court of Montenegro and the Supreme Court, where she gained experience in European integration process and the protection of human rights.

Catharina Harby

Senior Legal Consultant
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Catharina is senior legal consultant to the AIRE Centre and works on a number of its key programmes including the Annual Rule of Law Conference. She has been associated with the AIRE Centre since 2000. By background Catharina is a Swedish lawyer. She has lectured on the substantive and procedural aspects of the European Convention on Human Rights throughout Europe and was between 2005 and 2014 a Visiting Lecturer at the International Relations Programme at Regent’s University, London. Catharina is the co-editor of a number of publications, including the Legal Bulletin Human Rights in Europe containing articles and analyses on cases from the ECtHR and the CJEU. She has also co-edited and contributed to a large number of publications on topics such as the effective implementation of the ECHR, the right to a fair trial, the prohibition of ill-treatment and children’s rights. In addition, as part of a team of European experts, Catharina has been involved in the drafting of a human rights training manual for professional target groups across the Council of Europe.

Vanja Radević

Senior Legal Adviser
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Vanja is senior legal adviser to the AIRE Centre’s Rule of Law Project in Montenegro. She is also closely involved with the AIRE Centre’s work on gender in the justice system. Vanja holds a Bachelor’s degree and a specialist degree in Legal Studies from the University of Podgorica. Throughout her career she has held various positions within the Montenegrin judicial system and governmental institutions. After working at the Higher Court of Montenegro, she enhanced her knowledge of human rights by working as an Advisor to the State Representative of Montenegro before the European Court of Human Rights. During the 42nd assembly of the Montenegrin Government, she held the position of Advisor for Foreign Policy to the Prime Minister. She has been a member of various working groups within the Council of Europe regarding the civil sector and national institutions for the protection of human rights. She has also co-authored numerous publications analysing the implementation of legislation regarding human rights in Montenegro.

Amina Hujdur

Outreach and Communications Manager
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Amina is the Outreach and Communications Manager of Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme of the AIRE Centre. She previously worked for TRIAL International, UNICEF, N1/CNN exclusive news channel affiliate and War Childhood Museum, which gave her extensive experience in communications and outreach activities, especially when it comes to topics of protection of human rights and transitional justice. She has also written, edited and contributed to a number of publications on these topics. Her background includes working as a communications consultant for UNICEF and also interning for a television company. She is currently studying for an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy at the University of Sarajevo.

Azra Bećirović

Office Manager
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Azra is Programme Office Manager with 7+ years of experience in managing large-scale projects. Azra holds a Bachelors and a Masters in Law from the University of Travnik. Before the AIRE Centre she worked for international organisations, NGOs and businesses, including UCDER and the Federation for the Support of Economic and Social Development in Sarajevo. Azra is skilled in event organisation and building partnerships. She has expertise in human rights law, business law, and capacity-building for SMEs. As a researcher, Azra has published works and articles on topics such as entrepreneurship, asylum protection, transition challenges, and investment protection. She is also a member of the editorial board of the Legal Chronicle magazine.

Minja Trnka

Office Manager Assistant
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Minja provides office support and assistance to AIRE Centre project teams. She responsible for administration, communications, and logistics of project implementation, and providing support to the administration and operational management of BiH and Gender projects. She graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Sarajevo with a degree in Civil Affairs. Before joining the AIRE Centre, she worked as a legal advisor at the Central Election Commission handling administrative disputes, writing decisions, and preparing reports. Before that, gained experience at a notary’s office, preparing and drafting contracts, working with the court registry, and the land registry department of the Municipal Court.

Andrew Jackson

Organisation consultant
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Andrew supports the AIRE Centre team on organisation, strategy and change issues. Andrew has been a consultant for over 30 years and has worked widely across government and industries in the UK and Europe. His clients have included most major UK government departments, the staff of the Prime Minister’s Office, many senior diplomats, two EU Commissioners, the Lord Chief Justice of England and the senior judiciary, the Bank of England. Andrew has an MA from Cambridge, an MBA from Warwick Business School and a coaching diploma. He has attended the advanced leadership courses at the Harvard Kennedy School. His early career was in government. He was private secretary to two Home Secretaries. He also worked in Mrs Thatcher’s office on government reform. He led work on the reform of UK police powers in the 1980s.

Jelena Rašovič

Senior Legal Adviser
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Jelena acts as senior legal adviser to the AIRE Centre’s work in Montenegro and on Gender. Jelena graduated summa cum laude at the Faculty of Law, University of Donja Gorica in International and European Law and also obtained a cum laude MSc degree on property related subjects. At university she was awarded a number of student awards. After working as a legal trainee at the Law Office, she built her knowledge of human rights by working as a Legal Adviser to the Representative of Montenegro before the European Court of Human Rights. She has been a member of various drafting groups within the Council of Europe for the protection of human rights. She has also co-authored numerous publications analysing the recent case-law of the European Court and the implementation of judgments of the European Court in respect of Montenegro. She has authored papers on specific legal institutes in the Principality of Montenegro. She is currently a PhD student at the Faculty of Law, University of Montenegro.

Vesna Mijić

Associate
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Vesna Mijić started her collaboration with AIRE Center in 2016 as the contact person between the Office of the President of the Constitutional Court and AIRE Centre. She works on AIRE Center projects related to increasing judicial capacity, harmonizing domestic judicial practice and harmonizing practice with European standards, strengthening judicial response to serious and organized crime and impunity in BiH. Vesna joined the AIRE Center team as an associate in 2023 on the Gender project, simultaneously continuing work on previous projects. He is the key person in communication with the courts and prosecutor’s offices of Bosnia and Herzegovina and organizational matters related to all aspects of conferences, trainings, seminars.

Elma Veledar Arifagić

Senior Legal Adviser
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Elma provides legal advice to the AIRE Centre’s work on the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During her nearly 20 year legal career, Elma’s focus has been on civil law, commercial law, employment, data protection and constitutional law, as well as international law relating to the European standards established by the ECtHR. She provides legal services to a number of national and international businesses from various sectors and advises clients across a wide range of matters. She represents domestic and international clients before the courts in BiH, as well as before the ECtHR. Elma has a Bachelors and a Masters in Law from the University of Sarajevo. She is a regular lecturer on issues related to human rights and a certified tutor by the Council of Europe Program on Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP). In addition, she is the editor-in-chief of the national Legal Chronicle magazine providing information on the case-law relevant for legal practitioners in BiH.

Selma Učanbarlić

Media Expert
Western Balkans Rule of Law Programme

Selma is a media officer at the AIRE Centre’s Rule of Law Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina and has been associated with the organisation since 2020. Selma provides support to the highest courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina in developing and implementing communication strategies and improving communication practices of the courts. She is responsible for communications and outreach of the BiH project. Selma holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Sarajevo and a Masters in Communications. Prior to joining the AIRE Centre, Selma worked as investigative journalist and court reporter at the Centre for Investigative Reporting (CIN) Sarajevo and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH). She has attended training courses in the field of communications and public relations.