Aet Kukk, Human Rights Institute director, passes away

Aet Kukk, the executive director of the Human Rights Institute in Estonia, has passed away. Kukk had served as the institute's leader since 2019, following the death of her partner and colleague, Mart Nutt.

Throughout her career, Kukk was a prominent figure in human rights advocacy both within Estonia and through international cooperation. She led the organization of the annual Human Rights Conference and oversaw memorial events in Tallinn to honor the memory of persecuted individuals and boat refugees.

Her professional contributions included serving as a member of the Human Rights Council for the Chancellor of Justice, the board of the Estonian Memory Institute, and the academic advisory board for international law and human rights at the University of Tartu. Since 2023, she also represented Estonia on the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). In 2022, she was awarded the Order of the White Star, V Class, by the President of the Republic for her outstanding work in the field of human rights.