The Council of EHRC named Egert Rünne as Executive Director who will lead the team and everyday work from next year. Rünne was previously Chief Operating Officer of the Centre. “Estonian Human Rights Centre has developed in 10 years to a well-working organisation with strong team and growing supporter base,” said Rünne. “I am happy to help the Centre to develop further.” The strategy EIK2020 will end next year, so a new strategy will be developed to take Estonian Human Rights Centre to the next level.

Kari Käsper, the co-founder and Executive Director since 2013 will leave the Centre and start work as Associate Legal Officer at the UNHCR Regional Representation for Northern Europe, which also covers Estonia. “I am happy and grateful to have been able to contribute to human rights protection in Estonia,” said Käsper. “Now I can continue this work in a different way, by focusing on asylum issues.”

Chairperson of the Council of EHRC Katrin Nyman Metcalf said: “Kari has been a very important person not only for the Centre, but for the human rights discussion in Estonia. We will surely miss his everyday contribution at the Centre, but at the same time we are happy that he can further support human rights in Estonia in such an important context as refugee rights. We thank Kari for his contribution to human rights in Estonia and we are happy to continue the important work with Egert.”