Staff Members

The NPM team includes employees from different professional backgrounds and with different types of expertise. This interdisciplinary approach allows NPM team members to complement each other and ensures broad professional and methodological competence.

To contact the NPM, see contact information.

Photos: Mona Ødegård

 Helga Fastrup Ervik, head of the NPM

Helga has a law degree from the University of Oslo and broad expertise in the field of human rights. Prior to joining the Parliamentary Ombud, she was deputy director general of the Department of Justice and Inclusion at the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir). She has also been deputy head of the Section for Human Rights and Democracy at the Department for UN and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Contact: hfe@sivilombudet.no

Karin Fathimath Afeef, deputy head of NPM

Karin holds a M.Sc. in Forced Migration from the University of Oxford. She has previously worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as the Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO).

Karin has also worked extensively on humanitarian issues in Norway and spent ten years at the Norwegian Red Cross, where she was the head of unit for national humanitarian programmes.

Contact: kfa@sivilombudet.no

Johannes Flisnes Nilsen, senior adviser

Johannes has a law degree from the University of Bergen, and specialised in human rights and refugee law at the University of Cape Town. He has worked for the Parliamentary Ombud since the National Preventive Mechanism’s establishment in 2014. He has previously worked as a senior executive officer at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights. Johannes has written legal articles on topics such as social rights and prison conditions. He is also a member of the Scandinavian Solitary Confinement Network (SSCN).

Contact: jfn@sivilombudet.no

Mette Jansen Wannerstedt, senior adviser

Mette has a degree in sociology from the University of Oslo, and has broad methodological and analytical expertise. Mette has extensive experience as a performance auditor with the Office of the Auditor General of Norway, where she also worked as an adviser for the Office of the Auditor General of Zambia. She has worked in mental health care for adults and children. Prior to joining the Parliamentary Ombud, she worked at the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s Department for Public Health and Living Conditions.

Contact: mjw@sivilombudet.no

Tonje Østvold Byhre, senior adviser 

Tonje has a degree in clinical psychology from the University of Oslo.

She has extensive experience from hospitals, both psychiatric ward and out-patient clinic, including responsibilty for decisions concerning involuntary admissions.

Her previous job was at Lovisenberg Diakonale Hospital in Oslo.

Contact: tby@sivilombudet.no

Aurora Lindeland Geelmuyden, senior adviser 

Aurora has a law degree from the University of Bergen. She has previously worked in The Norwegian Bar Association and came to the Parliamentary Ombud from a position as a lawyer in the law firm Advokatfirmaet Sulland AS. As a lawyer, Aurora primarily worked with criminal law, and she has experience in litigating before all courts. Aurora has held positions on the board of the Norwegian Bar Association, Oslo branch and the Norwegian Bar Association, Human Rights Committee.

Contact: age@sivilombudet.no

Anne Bitsch, senior adviser

Anne holds a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Oslo. Her dissertation looked at sexual citizenship and how rape is handled in the legal system. Her areas of expertise include human rights, right-wing extremism, gender and sexual violence. Before she joined the Parliamentary Ombud, she worked as a researcher and author for several years, and she also has long-standing experience from various development and aid organisations, including the UN.

Contact: abi@sivilombudet.no

Inga Tollefsen Laupstad, senior adviser

Inga studied law at the University of Oslo. She joined the Parliamentary Ombud (Sivilombudet) after a two-year position as a deputy judge in the Romerike and Glåmdal District Court. Previously, she worked as an attorney specializing in criminal law and child protection law. In addition, she has experience in humanitarian work in Norway, having served as a legal senior advisor for the Norwegian Red Cross.

Contact: itl@sivilombudet.no