Maria (Masha) Lisitsyna is project manager on Central Asia for the Open Society Justice Initiative. The project focuses on domestic and international anti-torture litigation, international advocacy, and capacity building of local lawyers and human rights organizations. Lisitsyna recently served as a Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch focusing on civil and political rights in Turkmenistan and the rights of migrant workers in Russia and Kazakhstan. Lisitsyna cofounded and served for more than ten years as the executive director of the Youth Human Rights Group, one of the main human rights NGOs in Kyrgyzstan. In 2005, she served as a member of Kyrgyzstan’s Constitutional Council. Lisitsyna holds a JD from Kyrgyz-Russian Academy of Education.