Sibel Top

Sibel Top is a postdoctoral researcher and Managing Director at the Fundamental Rights Centre (FRC) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), where she has been affiliated since 2017. Her work focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of human rights, European extradition law, and child protection, particularly related to online sexual abuse and political crime exemptions.

• PhD in Law (VUB, funded by FWO)
• Master’s in European Interdisciplinary Studies (College of Europe, Université Libre de Bruxelles)
• Bachelor’s in Sociology and Anthropology (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

Her research spans European Union law, asylum law, and human trafficking, with notable projects including ALUNA (child protection against sexual exploitation), FWOTM906 (extradition law ambiguities), and DESIRE (comparative legal analysis). She frequently contributes to commissioned reports and policy discussions on EU rights frameworks.

Recent research outputs highlight her expertise in:

• Legal ethics of undercover investigations (2025)
• Political offence exceptions in extradition law (2025)
• Green transition and energy poverty (2025)
• Disability rights in EU elections (2024)

She actively organizes academic events such as the IMISCOE PhD School and the Afroeuropeans Network Conference, emphasizing intersectionality and decolonization in migration studies.