Ukraine Staff
Jason Naum
Jason Naum is an international development and nonprofit organization management expert with over 20 years of experience successfully leading and strengthening the capacity of nonprofits, academic institutions, and independent state actors with a human rights mandate around the world. He has extensive experience in strategic planning, thought leadership, global philanthropy, human rights programming, capacity building, grant management and evaluation strategies for mission driven nonprofits.
Prior to RWI, Jason was the Managing Director of the Botstiber Institute, the Founding Chairman and Executive Director of LAB (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on increasing opportunities for Philadelphia’s economically disadvantaged youth), as well as the Head of the National Human Rights Institutions Unit at RWI. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from Lund University with a specialization in international human rights and humanitarian law.
Theresia Kirkemann Boesen
Theresia Kirkemann Boesen has worked in the field of human rights and development for over two decades – shaped by 17 years at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, where she was leading work on human rights education and supporting national human rights institutions. Up until recently she has served as a Managing Director at Nordic Consulting Group Denmark where she has also been partner and consultant for the past 10 years primarily focusing on assignments in Eurasia.
Theresia holds an M.A. degree in Political Science from Copenhagen University, with further studies at the University of Birmingham at the Department for Political Science and International Studies, and Centre for Russian and East European Studies. She covers a broad area of expertise including human rights programming, democratisation, human rights-based approach, partnerships with civil organisations and state institutions including national human rights institutions, as well as organisational development, and strategic management and leadership.
Igor Osyka
Igor Osyka is Deputy Country Director Ukraine at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI). Mr. Osyka has experience of working for the International technical assistance projects in Ukraine for last 18 years. He worked in the capacity of Head of Field Office, Deputy Chief of Party, project manager, project coordinator and independent expert. Igor has experience of implementing projects in spheres of law enforcement and legal reform, judicial reform, anti-corruption and human rights. The projects he worked for were funded by the U.S. Department of State, USAID, Global Affairs Canada and European Commission and implemented by WYG International, National Judicial Institute of Canada, MSI Tetra Tech Company and American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative.
Before engaging in the International technical assistance projects, Mr. Osyka was teaching police investigators Criminalistics (procedures, tools, strategy and tactics of pre-trial investigation) for 10 years at Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs. He holds LL.M degree in International and Comparative Law from Chicago-Kent College of Law Illinois Institute of Technology and Ph.D. in Criminal Procedure, Criminalistics and Forensic Science from the Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs.
Tukhan Ediev
Tukhan Ediev is a licensed Ukrainian attorney and human rights defender with over 20 years of experience in legal aid, humanitarian programming, and engagement with law enforcement and security services. He has led national and multi-regional initiatives to protect vulnerable populations, advance human rights, and strengthen civil society in Ukraine.
Since August 2025, he has served as Programme Officer at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) in Ukraine, coordinating projects that strengthen the country’s human rights infrastructure, support Ukraine’s EU accession, and promote local access to justice. Previously, working for Freedom House Ukraine, he managed nationwide programs addressing hate-motivated violence, civic oversight of security services, and civic initiative support, including legal assistance for prisoners of war and locating missing persons.
Earlier, he worked with the Danish Refugee Council and UNHCR, providing legal aid to refugees, stateless persons, and IDPs implementing protection programs, and contributing to EU-aligned border guard reforms with the International Organization for Migration. He has many years of experience designing training programs and conducting workshops for youth, judges, law enforcement officers, border guards and local activists across Ukraine and abroad.
An active member of the Committee on Civil Society Engagement at the Ukrainian National Bar Association, Tukhan is also an author and co-author of publications on human rights, migration law, and refugee protection. Guided by the belief that “justice and faith naturally go together”, he continues to champion human rights through strategic partnerships, legal expertise, and capacity-building initiatives.
Olga Gaponenco
Olga Gaponenco is a programme officer for RWI’s Ukraine project. She is an international development professional with over eight years of experience managing donor-funded programmes in governance, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and public health in Ukraine. Olga has worked with international organisations such as Eurasia Foundation, CRDF Global, the Alliance for Public Health, and Stabilization Support Services, where she managed large-scale projects funded by USAID, the U.S. Department of State, the Global Fund, UK Dev, and the British Embassy Kyiv. Her expertise spans project coordination, policy analysis, donor engagement, monitoring and evaluation, and stakeholder relations across government, civil society, and international partners.
She holds a BA in International Relations with Spanish from the University of Exeter and an LL.M. in International Commercial Law from the University of Edinburgh, including an exchange year at University College Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Tatsiana Rahozina
Before joining RWI’s Europe Office, Tanya gained experience in the fields of human rights and development at the Istanbul regional hub of UNDP working with a gender equality team, the Swedish section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), MSF, and the Varieties of Democracy Institute. She holds an MSc in International Development and Management (LUMID) and an MSc in Global Studies from Lund University as well as a BA in International Relations.
In the capacity of a Department Associate, Tanya will continue working on the projects “Strengthening the Rights of Ukrainian IDPs and Refugees through Public Legal Education” and “Standing with Ukraine by Providing Enhanced Rights Protection for IDPs and Refugees” implemented by the RWI and its partners, ALCU and PLCF.
Tanya is fluent in English, Swedish, Belarusian, and Russian.
Vadym Ryeznikov
Vadym Ryeznikov brings over 28 years of diverse experience in customer relationship management, logistics, chartering, procurement, business management, and administration. His professional journey spans various industries and roles, including humanitarian aid coordination and entrepreneurship.
He has held positions in companies such as Azov Chart, ULG Northumbrian, and Azov Oil Company, and run is own successful business until the war started. Vadym relocated to Odessa in 2022 and joined Mercy Corps as a Procurement Officer, later transitioning to the World Food Programme (WFP) as a Business Support Associate. In 2024, he moved to Kyiv to serve as an Operations Specialist with DAI International.
At RWI, Vadym leverages his extensive background to support programme implementation and operations, contributing to the institute’s mission to promote human rights and humanitarian law.
Anna Pedash
Anna Pedash works as a Programme Associate, supporting RWI’s initiatives in Ukraine. She is an experienced project and administrative professional with a strong background in administrative support, international cooperation, and project coordination, mainly in aviation and development sectors. Most recently, she worked as an Administrative Assistant at USAID/Ukraine, where she coordinated project documentation, managed data analysis and reporting, and provided operational and logistical support for internal and external stakeholders. She has also worked as an International Affairs Manager at Ukraine International Airlines, where she successfully negotiated over 50 international aviation agreements and strengthened cooperation with more than 58 airlines worldwide. Her earlier experience includes roles at Dnipro International Airport, Dniproavia Airlines, and the EBRD-financed project “Modernization of Water and Wastewater Facilities in Dnipropetrovsk.” where she started her carrier as a Translator – Interpreter.
Anna holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Pridniprovsk State Academy of Building and Architecture and an education in Organization of Transportation and Management in the Transport Industry from the National Aviation University in Kyiv. She has also pursued additional professional training in cross-cultural communication, project documentation, and foreign languages. Anna speaks English, French, Ukrainian, and Russian, and enjoys working in multicultural teams and adapting quickly to new environments.
Daniel John Robinson
He also has experience as a Legal Access Caseworker at Care4Calais in the UK, where he connected refugees with public law solicitors and gathered evidence to support broader systemic challenges. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Manchester and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Human Rights Studies at Lund University.