Semyon Simonov
HRD, Lawyer
Southern Human Rights Centre
Semyon Simonov is a human rights defender, a lawyer and the head of the Southern Human Rights Centre, a regional public organization in Russia that provides free legal assistance on human rights violations. Semyon has been working in the field of minority rights, civilian control of the police, prosecutors and courts, raising awareness of human rights and civil rights, and supporting civic initiatives and non-profit organizations.
The environment for the work of human rights defenders (HRDs) in the Russian Federation is difficult, especially for those who defend and promote the rights of LGBTI people, ethnic and religious minorities, refugees, as well as activists of the North Caucasus and the unlawfully annexed Crimean Peninsula.
