Our Team
Executive Director
Amneh Khoulani
Amneh Khoulani is a prominent Syrian human rights defender and activist, recognized nationally and internationally, with over two decades of experience in civil society and human rights work. She has held leadership and advisory roles in several Syrian civil society organizations and co-founded multiple initiatives dedicated to human rights and women’s rights in Syria.
Amneh holds a Master’s degree in history and a diploma in education from Damascus University. She is a member of the National Commission for the Missing and Disappeared in Syria, a co-founder and former director of the Families for Freedom movement, as well as a co-founder and Vice-Chair of the Board of Madaniya Network.
In 2020, Amneh received the International Women of Courage Award from the U.S. Department of State in recognition of her efforts to promote justice, peace, and democracy. That same year, she was honoured by the Alabama House of Representatives for her steadfast commitment to peaceful struggle and human rights advocacy.
Amneh possesses extensive field experience and deep knowledge of the Syrian context, along with broad expertise in international relations concerning the Syrian cause. Through her ongoing engagement with UN bodies and international diplomatic entities focused on human rights and justice in Syria, she has become a key voice on these issues.
In 2019, she participated in the first-ever formal session of the United Nations Security Council addressing detention in Syria, and in June 2025, she delivered a briefing before the Council focusing on detention, enforced disappearance, transitional justice, and the role of women in Syria.
Amneh became involved in civil activism in 2011, working with the Local Council of Daraya. She was arrested along with her husband for their human rights activities and survived detention in Syrian regime prisons, while her three brothers remained forcibly disappeared for their participation in the civil movement.
She previously served as the Director of the Syrian Women’s Network for Justice in Lebanon, and before the Syrian uprising, she worked in the education sector, teaching in high schools in Damascus and its countryside.
She was one of the founders of the Daraya Youth Group in 2000, which sought to promote peaceful and positive societal change.
Dr. Yasmine Nahlawi (PhD Public International Law) is a legal consultant with a focus on international legal mechanisms and processes pertaining to the Syrian conflict. Her more recent work, including with the Syrian British Consortium and the Atlantic Council, revolves around Syrian-led efforts for case-file building, knowledge production, and pursuit of accountability avenues. She has published widely on Syria, including her book “The Responsibility to Protect in Libya and Syria: Mass Atrocities, Human Protection, and International Law” (Routledge 2019).
Legal Director
Dr. Yasmine Nahlawi
Programmes Manager
Linda Osman
Linda Osman is a Syrian legalist and human rights activist, holding an LL.M. in Public International Law and Human Rights from Utrecht University, as well as a Bachelor of Law from Damascus University. Her areas of expertise include human rights, international humanitarian law, and transitional justice. Linda is dedicated to legal research, policy analysis, and advocacy, focusing on advancing international law and human rights initiatives.
Linda has worked with several NGOs including Women Win, Human Rights Defenders, and others across Egypt and the Netherlands. Her collaborative efforts in these roles have focused on addressing human rights issues, democratizing philanthropy, and improving legal and educational frameworks to support refugees.
Additionally, Linda has been actively involved with various Syrian civil societies, concentrating on providing training in human rights and refugee rights. Her efforts are dedicated to offering legal advice, formulating policies, and delivering educational outreach to support and empower vulnerable communities.
Linda is fluent in Arabic and English, with proficiency in Dutch.
Ruba Nouman has been a practicing lawyer since 2009. She holds a degree in International Law from Washington College of Law as well as the title of Consultant in International Arbitration from the Arab Union of International Arbitration in Cairo.
Over the past ten years, Rouba’s focus has been on international law and human rights law. She delivered several trainings on children's rights as well as on international law and human rights to a group of legal experts, in cooperation with the Washington College of Law. Rouba currently serves as a legal consultant to Hurras Network, in which she also previously served as the director of the Documentations Unit, leading a team of over 30 to develop their expertise in legal documentation and child safeguarding in accordance with international and local legal standards.
Communication coordinator
Ruba Nouman