Inna Bondarenko is a Jordanian-Russian researcher, human rights practitioner and media professional specialising in asylum and protection, civil society and political repression, with a regional focus on post-Soviet countries and the SWANA region. Her work brings together academic and policy research, journalism, communications and human rights advocacy.
She currently works with the International Memorial Association, focusing on political repression, state violence, historical memory and contemporary human rights issues. Previously, at the Civic Assistance Committee, a Russian organisation providing legal and humanitarian assistance to refugees and migrants, she conducted country-of-origin and protection research for asylum cases, analysed official documentation, and provided interpretation to asylum seekers navigating legal and administrative procedures. At the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), she researched the gendered dimensions of human trafficking and migrant smuggling in Europe within the DG HOME Anti-Trafficking Hub.
Bondarenko holds a BSc in International Relations with a specialisation in Middle Eastern Studies, an MSc in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford, and a Master in Transnational Governance from the European University Institute. Her research has explored the roles of international organisations and corporate actors in humanitarian response, media narratives around migration in Russia, the protection of Russian draft evaders in the EU, transnational actors in shaping sanctions policy, independent media and civil society in exile, and the role of emotions in politics.
She is a native Russian speaker, fluent in English and advanced in Arabic.