ID: ICPA2025VPID213 28 Oct 2025

by Terry Hackett, Judge Raja S. Abinader, Yenus Mulu Takele, Oleksandr Nikonishyn

ICPA2025-PID213-Terry Hackett, Raja S. Abinader, Yenus Mulu Takele and Oleksandr Nikonishyn

Preserving Humanity in Crisis-Leading Correctional Systems Affected by Armed Conflict

Authors

Terry Hackett

Head of Unit, Persons Deprived of Liberty, International Committee of the Red Cross, Switzerland

Terry Hackett is the Head of the People Deprived of Liberty Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, a role he has held since February 2022. Prior to joining the ICRC in 2018 as a Prison System Adviser, Terry had a distinguished 22-year career with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), culminating in his position as Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Correctional Operations (Pacific). Throughout his career, he has worked with detaining authorities in over 25 countries focusing on improving the treatment of detainees and conditions of detention in line with international standards. Terry holds a Master of Arts in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University, a Master of Advanced Studies in International Law in Armed Conflict from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Trinity Western University. He has contributed to various academic publications and served as the keynote speaker for various international events including the International Corrections and Prisons Association Conference in 2022 and the African Correctional Services Association Conference (2023 & 2025).

Judge Raja S. Abinader

Head, Prisons Directorate, Lebanese Ministry of Justice, Lebanon

Judge Raja Abinader is, since 2012, in charge of the Prisons Directorate within the Lebanese Ministry of Justice, focusing on prison reform in Lebanon. Prior to this, he was head of the Judicial Commission for Early Release, a position he held for nearly five years.

Holder of a Masters in Criminal Law, Raja has been a dedicated and driven professional with a demonstrated history of working in the law practice industry for the past 15 years. He is a legal consultant and trainer in fields such as combatting torture, promoting Human Rights, management of violent extremist prisoners, and a lecturer in Human Rights and detention.

He is highly experienced in criminal justice, prisons inspection and monitoring, detention management, alternatives to detention, international human rights and humanitarian law, training and development, and justice and security reform.

He is a member of Parliamentary subcommittees on criminal law reform, governmental committees on counter terrorism, overcrowding and detention. He is also a founding member of ""Nouveaux Droits de l'Homme"" - ALEF “Act for Human Rights” Non-Governmental Organization in Lebanon since the year 2000 and a “John Smith Memorial Trust” fellow since 2011.

Yenus Mulu Takele

Commissioner General, Ethiopian Federal Prison Commission (EFPC), Ethiopia

Yenus Mulu joined Ethiopian Federal Prison Commission (EFPC) in March 2024 after serving Ethiopian Defense Force at different functions and command stints for 33 years.

In 2008 graduated his BA degree in Management and has got Scholarship for MA Degree to study Military Science in the Specialty of National Security Strategy. And he awarded MA from National Defense University of China, in 2017.

Yenus Mulu during his career in Ethiopian National Defense Force attended different diploma and certificate course such as, advanced Diploma in Defense and Strategic Studies from China National Defense University, Diploma on International Intelligence Fellows program Course from USA National Defense Intelligence College in Washington D.C, Certificate in Peacekeeping English course Level 3 from British Council-Addis Ababa ,Certificate in Defense and Management in a Wider Security Sector 2015 from Cranfield University-Addis Ababa, Defense Attaches Course Module from Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) , in Addis Ababa
In addition, he attended many international and continental Conference and meetings in different countries, to list some of them in South Africa, China, USA, Turkey, Republic of Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, South Korea, Qatar, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, France and Singapore.

Yenus Mulu key appointments in Ethiopian National Defense Force include, Bilateral Cooperation Affairs Directorate Director, Deputy Defense Attaché in Somalia and Puntland, ETH-USA joint Project head, and has awarded AMISOM Medal and Ribbon with certificate and a 30 Year Military Service Medal and Ribbon.

Oleksandr Nikonishyn

Deputy Head, Department for the Execution of Criminal Sentences of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, Ukraine

Oleksandr Nikonishyn, as the Deputy Head, coordinates international activities in the field of criminal justice. His work focuses on strengthening cooperation with international partners to enhance the institutional capacity of Ukraine’s penitentiary system and ensure implementation of international standards.

Before assuming his current role, Mr. Nikonishyn held the position of Deputy Director at the Department of International Relations within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Prior to that, he led the Department for European Integration and International Cooperation of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, where he played a key role in fostering international partnerships.

Mr. Nikonishyn has extensive experience in both public as well as private sectors, including roles in international economics, intellectual property, foreign economic activity, security organizations and regulatory oversight.
He holds two Master's degrees: one in Philology from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and another in International Economics from Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman.

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