Jelena Unijat is a lawyer with years of experience in the protection of human rights, migration and social inclusion of vulnerable groups. She graduated at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, where she also received master’s degree. She has been Executive Director of Praxis since April 2025.

For most of her professional career, Jelena worked in the Expert Service of the Ombudsman, resolving complaints in the areas of good governance, protection of children's rights, rights of persons with disabilities and rights of national minorities. She also worked within this institution on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty and on the prevention of torture, performing the duties of the Secretary of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture. She also has significant experience in the protection of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, gained during her work at the Danish Refugee Council and Group 484. At the very beginning of her career she worked in the field of security sector reform, working as a researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy. Throughout her career, she has been involved in research, policy development, commenting on draft laws, as well as monitoring and evaluation. She has also provided mentorship to civil society organizations, helping them to strengthen their capacities and efficiency. She has published numerous works in the field of migration and human rights protection.