Higher Legal Expert specialising in human rights, political persecution, and refugee protection East Africa, with experience preparing expert reports, conducting nationality assessments, and providing testimony before UK and US courts and tribunals.
I provide independent country conditions analysis across East African region, specialising in human rights violations and protection risks relevant to asylum and international protection claims. My expertise includes:
• Political persecution and political opinion
• Political associations and opposition activity
• Military or police service–related risks
• Prison and detention conditions
• Religion
• Race and ethnicity
• Nationality and statelessness
• LGBTQ+ (sexual orientation and gender identity) claims
• Deportees and returnee risk assessment
• Disability-based discrimination
• Female genital cutting (FGC)
• Forced marriage
• Gang-related violence
• HIV/AIDS-related persecution
• Land rights disputes
• Human trafficking
• Violence against children
• Violence against women
Professional services include:
• Preparation of expert witness reports for asylum and immigration proceedings
• In-depth regional and country-specific research
• Document verification and authenticity assessment
• Nationality assessments conducted in multiple regional languages
• Expert testimony before courts and tribunals in the UK and the US
Higher Legal Expert and Acting Director within the national parliamentary structure of Ethiopia. Former Lecturer in Law and Academic Programme Coordinator at a public university.
Prepared approximately 50 expert witness reports for asylum and immigration cases.
Conducted dozens of nationality assessments and document verification analyses.
Provided expert testimony before courts and tribunals in the UK and the US.
- Peer-reviewed article on post-reform human rights conditions in Ethiopia (published in an international human rights journal)
- Research on prisoner rights and detention conditions
- Co-authored research on refugee rights and socio-economic integration
- Master’s thesis on regulatory autonomy under international investment law
(Full list available upon request.)
Goffatho / Wolayitato (Native)
English (Fluent)
Afaan Oromo (Basic)
Civil society actors
Journalists
Human rights defenders