About Us
Rule of Law Empowerment Association (ROLE) is a dynamic rule of law and human rights NGO founded by former judges of the European Court of Human Rights, distinguished legal scholars and practitioners, as well as socially engaged young legal professionals.
ROLE is committed to promoting and safeguarding the rule of law, human rights, and anti-corruption principles across Europe and Central Asia. Its mission is to advance justice, equality, and accountability throughout the region.
To achieve this mission, ROLE implements a wide range of activities. These include monitoring and assessing the human rights and rule of law situation in target countries against internationally recognized standards; conducting and supporting strategic litigation, as well as the implementation of decisions of international courts and quasi-judicial bodies; supporting civil society organizations, human rights lawyers, and defenders as well as providing training programs for legal professionals. The organization also prepares analytical reports assessing the legislative compliance of target region countries with international human rights and rule of law standards. In addition, ROLE conducts in-depth research on key rule of law and human rights challenges, producing reports and recommendations aimed at strengthening legal systems and enhancing the protection of fundamental rights.
To achieve its mission, ROLE implements a wide range of activities. These include monitoring and assessing the human rights and rule of law situation in target countries against internationally recognized standards; conducting and supporting strategic litigation, as well as promoting the implementation of decisions of international courts and quasi-judicial bodies; and supporting civil society organizations, human rights lawyers, and defenders, including through training programs for legal professionals.
The organization also prepares analytical reports evaluating the compliance of national legislation in target countries with international human rights and rule of law standards. In addition, ROLE conducts in-depth research on key rule of law and human rights challenges, producing reports and recommendations aimed at strengthening legal systems and enhancing the protection of fundamental rights.
To amplify its impact, ROLE collaborates with a broad network of partners, including organizations across Europe and Central Asia, academic institutions, and grassroots activists.
ROLE is overseen by a Board of Directors composed of leading figures in the fields of human rights and the rule of law, who bring extensive expertise and experience to guide the organization’s strategic direction and ensure the effectiveness of its initiatives.
Our Board of Directors
Dr. Ksenija Turković is a former judge and vice-president of the European Court of Human Rights. She holds both an LL.M. and a Doctor of the Science of Law degree from Yale Law School, and is a member of the New York Bar. Before joining the Court, she practiced law in the United States for over a decade and led the expert team that drafted Croatia’s new Criminal Code (2009–2011). She has also served as vice-president of two Council of Europe expert committees on children’s rights. Dr. Turković is the author or co-author of several books and more than 50 scholarly articles on criminal law, medical law and ethics, criminology, victimology, and human rights.
Professor Aharon Barak is an internationally renowned legal scholar and former President of the Supreme Court of Israel. He served as a justice and for almost three decades, including 11 years as the President of the Court. His leadership was pivotal in strengthening the independence of Israel’s judiciary. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Professor Barak served as Attorney General of Israel and was Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has taught at leading institutions including Yale Law School, Georgetown University, Reichman University, Central European University, and the University of Toronto. He served as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice.
Chief Justice Emeritus Vincent Anthony De Gaetano was educated at the Jesuit College of St Aloysius’ (Malta), at the Royal University of Malta and at the University of Cambridge (Gonville and Caius College). He joined the Attorney General’s Office in Malta in 1979 and served as Deputy Attorney General from 1989 to 1994.
He served on a number Council of Europe expert committees and was President of the Steering Committee on Legal Cooperation (CDCJ) and Chairman of the Multidisciplinary Group on Corruption (GMC). In 1994 he was made a judge of the Superior Courts and in 2002 was appointed Chief Justice. In 2010 he was elected to the European Court of Human Rights as the judge in respect of Malta, and served as vice-president of Section IV and later as president of Section III of that Court. He retired from the court in Strasbourg in September 2019 after serving a full nine year mandate.
He was a lecturer in Criminal Law and Law of Criminal Procedure at the University of Malta from 1991 to 2017. He has lectured and published extensively in Malta and abroad on legal and human rights topics. In January 2021 he was appointed by the Parliamentary Ombudsman as Commissioner for Education within the Ombudsman’s Office, a post he hold to this day.
Anya Verkhovskaya is a distinguished human rights activist, award-winning documentary film producer, and a nationally recognized expert witness and settlement administrator in class action litigation. Verkhovskaya’s commitment to human rights was evident early in her career when she worked with filmmaker Steven Spielberg as the Regional Director for Europe and Asia at the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation (now the USC Shoah Foundation Institute). Her work in film includes serving as a field producer and production manager for the Academy Award-winning documentary The Last Days. She also co-produced Children from the Abyss, which was honored with the Christopher Award. As a respected expert witness and administrator in class action lawsuits, Verkhovskaya has been appointed by the governments of Germany and Israel to administer restitution programs for Jewish and Romani Holocaust survivors. She is the founder and CEO of Class Experts Group, LLC, a legal services firm. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Verkhovskaya has dedicated her efforts to humanitarian aid. She serves as a Director of the Board of Friends of Be an Angel, Inc., and is a board member of its German sister organization, Be an Angel e.V. These organizations focus on delivering critical humanitarian assistance and executing life-saving evacuations from Ukraine.
Yervand Shirinyan is a leadership member of Araminta, an organization dedicated to empowering communities to defend their rights and pursue justice. He previously held senior positions at the Open Society Foundations, including Division Director for the Europe and Central Asia program, where he oversaw strategic planning and implementation in the region. From 2021 to 2024, he served as Acting Director of Open Society Foundations–Armenia, leading its transition into an independent organization. Earlier, he co-founded and served as Deputy Director of the Open Society Human Rights Initiative, supporting global human rights movements. Mr. Shirinyan holds an MBA in International Management from Case Western Reserve University (in association with Central European University, Budapest) and an MST in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford.