Team

Hugues de Suremain is co-founder of the EPLN. He was formerly responsible officer of the investigation division of the International Prison Observatory, before being its legal and litigation coordinator (2004-2010). Between 2011 and 2016, he was a lawyer at the Paris Bar, practicing in a law firm specialised before the judicial and administrative supreme courts of France. He has collaborated as a researcher with the University of Florence between 2014 and 2016. He is currently member of the Expert council on NGO law of the Council of Europe.

Julia Krikorian studied sociology and philosophy in Paris. She joined the EPLN in 2016 and played a leading role in developing the network. She coordinated with the University of Strasbourg a programme of research on access to legal aid in detention in the EU (2017-2019) and with the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts the “Coalition for fighting violence in prison” with prisoners’ rights defenders from Germany, France, Poland, Ukraine and Russia (2019-2021). Formerly, she coordinated peace mediation projects in Ukraine, South Caucasus and Kosovo for the NGO CSSP e.V. and was head of mission for the NGO Medecins du Monde in Russia.

Béranger joined the EPLN in 2022, after having been involved as a volunteer in the network’s activities since 2015. He is responsible for coordinating the organisation’s legal and advocacy resources for prisoners’ rights defenders. He is based in Poland.

Honours LLM student in European Criminal Justice at Utrecht University, holding a Double Bachelor's Degree in Law and Criminology and Public Policy from Pompeu Fabra University. Currently working as a Legal Intervention Officer at SOS Racisme Catalunya, providing legal support to victims of discrimination through legal intervention and strategic advocacy, and formerly serving as a Legal and Policy Assistant at Irídia – Centre for the Defense of Human Rights. Also collaborating with AMAL Global Law on a podcast focusing on international human rights and regional human rights courts. Current master's research explores social rehabilitation as a fundamental right, with a particular focus on triggering the two-step test under Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA.

Law student at the University of Warsaw, alongside a bachelor's degree in social prevention and resocialisation (legal and criminological specialisation). Former intern at the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (2025–2026). Member of the University of Warsaw's Article 42 Executive Penal Code Legal Clinic (Klinika art. 42 k.k.w.), providing legal assistance to persons deprived of liberty (in particular prisoners serving long-term sentences). Board member of the Paulina Kuczalska-Reinschmit Student Academic Circle, devoted to human rights and equity. Research interests include critical criminology, the theory of criminalisation, penitentiary law and human rights in conditions of isolation.