Today, Monday, "Human Rights Watch" announced the appointment of Tirana Hassan, a seasoned lawyer and human rights investigator who has documented human rights violations in crises and conflicts around the world, as the new executive director of the organization. Hassan served as the director of programs at Human Rights Watch and has been acting executive director since September 2022 following the departure of Kenneth Roth, who led the organization for a long period.
Born in Singapore to a Pakistani father who left India during partition and a Chinese and Sri Lankan mother born in Malaysia, her family settled in Australia in the 1970s after her father's academic research on housing policies in Singapore angered the government, which was cracking down on dissent. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of South Australia, Hassan worked as a social worker in Los Angeles, London, and Adelaide, providing counseling to homeless youth. She later earned a law degree from the University of Adelaide.
During her final year in law school, she co-founded "Woomera Lawyers Group," an organization advocating for refugees that provides legal services to asylum seekers detained in a notorious desert detention center in Australia. Hassan represented Afghan, Iraqi, and Iranian refugees and asylum seekers held in the remote facility before moving on to work in the humanitarian field. She also holds a Master's degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford.
Hassan remarked on her appointment: "I am delighted and honored to lead this exceptional organization at a time when defending human rights seems more urgent than ever. I look forward to building on the great foundations that Human Rights Watch is built upon to support the human rights defenders we work with and the communities we serve in pushing for a future that respects our rights."
