Levinson Lev Semyonovich

Born in 1963 in Moscow. From 1979 to 1991 worked in churches of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) as an altar boy and psalm reader. Journalist. From 1993 to 1999 he collaborated with the Express Chronicle newspaper and other publications. In the human rights movement since 1991. From 1991 to 2003 he worked in the Russian parliament. Assistant to a member of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation from 1991 to 1993, assistant to deputies of the State Duma of the first – fourth convocations (since 2004 - on a voluntary basis), coordinator and member of working groups for the development of a number of bills. Executive Secretary of the Public Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Conscience (1995 - 2000), Executive Secretary of the Permanent Chamber of Human Rights of the Political Advisory Council under the President of the Russian Federation (1996 - 2000); consultant at the Memorial human rights center (2000 - 2007); founder, leading analyst and member of the editorial board of the non-governmental organization bulletin “Legislative Process in the State Duma: Human Rights Analysis” (2000 - 2007). As of 2013: member of the Expert Council under the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation (since 1999); expert at the Institute of Human Rights (since 2000); Secretary of the All-Russian Coalition of Public Organizations "For Democratic Alternative Civil Service" (since 2001), head of the "Informed Choice" program (since 2006); member of the editorial board of the Russian Bulletin for Human Rights (since 2002); head of the "New Drug Policy" program (since 2003); member of the Board of the Public Verdict Foundation (since 2006); expert of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation (since 2006); head of the Library of Human Rights Literature "PravLit" (since 2007); member of the working group of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation on improving anti-drug policy and reform of the drug treatment system (from 2010) and others.
Author of books and periodical publications on human rights and legal issues.