Staff
Executive Director
Omer Kanat
Before his work as a human rights advocate, he worked for two decades as a broadcast journalist. From 1999 to 2009 Mr. Kanat was Senior Editor at Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur Service, where he covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, edited Uyghur-language news, conducted exclusive interviews with prominent figures in Inner Asia, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and reported on breaking news around the world. Prior to his work at Radio Free Asia, he was Senior Editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service.
Senior Researcher
Ben Carrdus
Outreach Specialist
Tashken Davlet
Mr. Tashken Davlet is the Outreach Specialist at the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP). He serves as an editor and manager for the Chinese-language UHRP website, writes commentary for the UHRP “Insights” series, supports UHRP events, and conducts outreach and advocacy in the Chinese-speaking world. His past work experience mostly covers the fields of media and nonprofit organizations, with skills in journalism, program producing, multimedia editing, event planning, and translation. He is proficient in Mandarin and also speaks Taiwanese Hokkien. He has a Bachelor's degree from National Tsing Hua University (國立清華大學), majoring in Sociology and minoring in Philosophy.
Director of Global Advocacy
Louisa Greve
Email: lgreve@uhrp.org
Cell Phone: +1.571.882.4825
Twitter: @LouisaCGreve
Associate Director for Research & Advocacy
Peter Irwin
Peter Irwin is Associate Director for Research and Advocacy at the Uyghur Human Rights Project. He directs the organization’s communication strategy across platforms and works with journalists to amplify research and advocacy globally. Peter leads UHRP’s advocacy at the United Nations and other multilateral organizations, and supports targeted engagement with diverse stakeholders, including governments and civil society. Peter also conducts and edits research for the general public, researchers, governments, and for submissions to UN bodies and government agencies.
Peter regularly offers commentary to leading media outlets on UHRP research, and has written original pieces for The Guardian, The Independent, Hong Kong Free Press and The Diplomat. Mr. Irwin is an MSc graduate of Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and former Program Manager and Spokesperson for the World Uyghur Congress.
Chinese Outreach Coordinator
Zubayra Shamseden
Ms. Shamseden was a 2016-2018 Fellow at the Center for Women, Faith & Leadership (CWFL) of the Institute for Global Engagement's (IGE). She has a bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Science from East China Normal University (华东师范大学), in Shanghai; a certification in Chinese from the Industrial University of Xinjiang; a diploma in Russian language and literature from the State University of Eastern Kazakhstan (Восточно-Казахстанский Государственный Университет); and a graduate diploma in Information Studies and a master’s degree in International Studies, both from the University of South Australia, where she focused on the modern history of Uyghur human rights. She is fluent in English, Uyghur, Chinese, Uzbek and Russian, and has a working knowledge of Turkish.
Twitter: @UHRP_Chinese
Director of Research
Henryk Szadziewski
Email: hszad@uhrp.org
Twitter: @henrykszad
Current Interns & Volunteers
View our application process for interns and volunteers here.
FEATURED VIDEO
Atrocities Against Women in East Turkistan: Uyghur Women and Religious Persecution
Watch UHRP's event marking International Women’s Day with a discussion highlighting ongoing atrocities against Uyghur and other Turkic women in East Turkistan.
Subscribe to Our Mailing List
Want to help support our research, advocacy, and humanitarian assistance? Subscribe for updates from UHRP.