Hannah Ahern joined DPLF in January 2020, supporting the Judicial Independence and the Transitional Justice and Fight Against Impunity programs (formerly, Impunity and Serious Human Rights Violations). Hannah focuses on a range of issues such as the protection of justice operators in their role as human rights defenders, the promotion of autonomous and efficient prosecution offices, and the intersection between corruption and human rights, with a particular emphasis on the crucial role of victims and civil society in the fight against corruption. Additionally, she collaborates on initiatives related to enforced disappearances in Latin America, analyzing state responses in the search and investigation processes led by prosecution offices.
Before joining DPLF, Hannah was the recipient of the prestigious “James E. Tolan Human Rights Fellowship” from the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice. During this time, she served as a Human Rights Fellow with the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) in Lima, Peru. In this position, she focused on activities related to the implementation of the Law on the Search for Persons Disappeared during the period of violence from 1980-2000 (Law No. 30470), where she assisted in the classification of cases contained in the Unified Victims Registry for the Directorate General for the Search of Disappeared Persons. Hannah also contributed to the creation and implementation of a project aimed at informing the families of disappeared persons about their rights under Law No. 30470 and the international legal framework.
In addition, Hannah has held various roles in the field of human rights. She interned at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica and was part of the International Human Rights Clinic at Fordham, where she contributed to the creation of reports presented to United Nations mechanisms. She also worked with Amnesty International Japan, providing recommendations to the Japanese government.
Hannah holds a law degree from Fordham University School of Law, as well as a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on Latin America and a concentration in Sociology from Kenyon College.
