International Service for Human Rights
Geneva, Switzerland
Fabiana Pardi Otamendi is a Venezuelan lawyer committed to the protection and promotion of human rights. Fabiana’s motivation to become a human rights lawyer has been driven by the human rights crisis in her home country. In Venezuela, Fabiana worked on landmark cases related to freedom of expression as well as the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. At HLS, Fabiana completed coursework with great emphasis on human rights and joined different initiatives related to the field. Through her work, she witnessed the acts of violence to which human rights defenders are constantly exposed, such as murders, threats, criminalization and surveillance. As a result, is why she decided to join the International Service for Human Rights, an NGO that has been supporting the work of human rights defenders for more than 30 years. At the International Service for Human Rights, Fabiana will contribute to the adoption and effective implementation of norms that enable the creation of spaces where human rights defenders are heard, recognized and protected from reprisals and acts of intimidation. She will also be able to provide legal advice to human rights defenders on applying international law within the international human rights system.