Sylvia Dias
Senior Legal Adviser and Country Representative, Brazil
Sylvia Diniz Dias is Senior Legal Adviser and Brazil Representative, based in Rio de Janeiro. She leads APT’s strategies in Brazil, focusing on preventive mechanisms and the role of criminal justice actors in addressing torture. A lawyer with degrees from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the University of Connecticut, she has over 20 years of experience in human rights. Sylvia has particular expertise in monitoring places of detention, ensuring safeguards during the first hours of custody, and protecting populations at risk. She previously directed APT’s Latin America Regional Office in Panama (2011–2015) and earlier worked in the USA supporting survivors of domestic violence. She speaks Portuguese, English and Spanish.