Maksym Butkevych is a Ukrainian human rights activist and journalist who spent more than two years in Russian captivity as a prisoner of war.

He serves on the Expert Council of the Center for Civil Liberties and is a member of the Executive Board of PEN Ukraine. Maksym is also a co-founder of the No Borders Project, which supports asylum seekers and internally displaced people in Ukraine, while also combating hate speech and xenophobia. Moreover, he is a founding member of the ZMINA Human Rights Center and Hromadske Radio. Previously, he also worked at the BBC World Service and UNHCR.

Nata Albot is a media personality and social activist from Moldova. She is the
co-host of the “Internetu’ Grăiește” podcast, analysing current events, and fostering media literacy and civic awareness.

With the aim of preserving Moldovan culture and promoting its traditions, Nata founded the “K Lumea” NGO and the “IA Mania” festival, revitalising traditional crafts and bringing communities together. Moreover, she organises the “Wake Up Camp”, designed to inspire young people to social activism.

Iryna Domnenko is a Ukrainian trainer, facilitator, and developer of training programmes. She is also the co-host of the “Rakamakafo” podcast.

Iryna specialises in strategising, communication, education, and cultural decolonisation processes. She has worked with public and charitable organisations, from small local initiatives to international organisations,
as well as small and medium-sized local businesses. She has also worked with students and youth.

Marat Tileubek is a Kazakhstani activist working on initiatives that promote civic participation and social change.

Since 2019, he has been part of the Oyan, Qazaqstan movement, advocating for political reform in the country and greater civic engagement. In addition to this, he managed an election campaign for a local assembly candidate in Almaty, leading strategy development, team coordination, and public outreach. He also co-organised the Jana Cekara Film Festival, creating a platform for dialogue on justice and freedom through the lens of cinema.

Tinatin Khidasheli is a former Minister of Defence of Georgia, the first woman to hold this position. She also chaired the parliamentary committee for European Integration.

Tinatin founded the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, the largest human rights advocacy group in the post-Soviet space. Currently, she heads the Civic IDEA think tank, combating Soviet legacy, countering Russian propaganda, and advocating for strong security policy for Georgia. She also teaches university courses on hybrid warfare, defence policy, and anti-corruption efforts.

Victor Ilie is a Romanian investigative journalist who has contributed to cross-border projects including the Panama Papers, and undercover documentaries such as “Marele Alb” about Romania’s Orthodox Church.

He has also reported on corruption in the media and government, the pharmaceutical industry, and human trafficking for a range of independent publications (Inclusiv, Casa Jurnalistului, RISE Project, and Recorder). Since 2024, he has been a freelance journalist, coordinating multiple documentary projects examining the impact of propaganda.

Levon Barseghyan is an Armenian expert on mass media, freedom of information, and local government. He is the host of the LevOn YouTube channel.

Levon served as editor-in-chief, director, and producer of several local media outlets, including TV a radio companies Tsayg, Shant, and TM, and newspapers Shant and Asparez. He is also the founder and chairman of the “Asparez Journalists’ Club” in the city of Gyumri, which promotes transparency, accountability, and freedom of information. He has initiated more than 90 litigations against officials who refused to provide access to public information.

Daria Radchenko is the Chief Financial Officer of Kordon Media, an independent regional media outlet based in the Sumy region of Ukraine.

She is responsible for financial strategy, grant acquisition, and partnerships that help ensure the outlet’s resilience in wartime. Thanks to effective resource management, Kordon Media continues reporting from frontline communities and documenting the consequences of Russia’s shelling. Daria is also a war correspondent.

Andrei Bolocan is a journalist and content creator from Moldova. He is the creator of the political satire show “Emisiunea Lumina” . He also hosts and produces the online show “Internetu Grăiește” alongside Nata Albot, which focuses on current events.

Andrei has previously worked for the Moldovan media outlet Jurnal TV. In 2015, he launched a satirical video series as a response to the social-political changes in his country. In over 400 episodes, he has used humour to expose and critique the country’s most prominent political figures for corruption, propaganda, and manipulation.