Dr. Krassimir Kanev graduated in 1982 from Sofia University. Specialized Human Rights and Religious Freedom at Columbia University in 1996-97. For 10 years he taught an introductory course on international human rights at Sofia State University. Has also taught sociology, sociology of law, critical social theory, environmental studies and international human rights in a number of colleges and universities in Bulgaria and abroad, among them the Plovdiv State University, the University of Oregon, the University of Sarajevo and the Central European University. Has taught courses on UN mechanisms for human rights protection for lawyers from several East European countries. Dr. Kanev started human rights work in 1988. Has been and continues to be an activist in a number of human rights NGOs. Since 1994 – Director of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. In the past, he has also been member of the boards of a number of international human rights NGOs and institutions. At present, he is Vice-President of the European Prison Litigation Network, director emeritus of PILnet, member of the Management Board of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, member of the Board of the Association for the Prevention of Torture and member of the Board of the International Partnership for human rights. Dr Kanev successfully represents clients before the European Court of Human Rights on a variety of human rights violations.