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Experts on countries of origin by country

Bluth, Christoph

Professor of International Studies at the University of Leeds with extensive knowledge of the human rights situation and asylum matters relating to political persecution and trafficking. Particular experience and expertise in relation to Vietnamese refugees (political activists, victims of trafficking and persons persecuted for religious activities, Chinese asylum seekers (adherents of persecuted religious groups, political activists and victims of trafficking), and applicants from Pakistan (applicants facing threats in relation to family honour,  issues relating to the blasphemy laws, sexual orientation, applicants facing threats from terrorists and due to their political activities such as members of the UKPNP). I am acknowledged as a leading expert on the Korean peninsula (North Korea and South Korea).  I also have considerable expertise in matters relating to asylum seekers from Iraq and Iran in relation to family honour, political activism and religious persecution. Among numerous publications, reference can be made to the book Security, Culture and Human Rights in South Asia and the Middle East, Global Research Publications 2019, a guide for country experts on the regions.

Occupation: Professor of International Studies, University of Leeds; Visiting Professor at Yonsei University, Seoul 2005.
Countries of expertise: China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Vietnam

Cabi, Dr Marouf

Historian, specialised in the history, politics and cultures of Iran and the Kurds.

Occupation: Tutor in history
(BA; MA; M.Litt.; PhD)
Countries of expertise: Iran

Christian, Dr. Patrick James

The Expert is a psychoanalytical anthropologist of violent ethnic & cultural conflict in Eurasia, South Asia, Middle East, Central and South America, West Africa, North Africa and the Horn of Africa with experience working in military, diplomatic, and humanitarian interventions in intra-state violent conflicts.

Occupation: Psychoanalytical Anthropologist
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Colombia, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Western Sahara, Yemen

Fair, Carol

The Expert is a Professor in the Security Studies Program within Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She previously served as a senior political scientist with the RAND Corporation, a political officer with the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan in Kabul, and a senior research associate at the United States Institute of Peace.  Her most recent book is In Their Own Words: Understanding Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (Hurst/Oxford University Press, 2018/2019).  She has authored, co-authored and co-edited several books, including Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army’s Way of War (Oxford University Press); Pakistan’s Enduring Challenges (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015), Policing Insurgencies: Cops as Counterinsurgents (Oxford University Press, 2014); Political Islam and Governance in Bangladesh (Routledge, 2010); Treading on Hallowed Ground: Counterinsurgency Operations in Sacred Spaces (Oxford University Press, 2008); The Madrassah Challenge: Militancy and Religious Education in Pakistan (USIP, 2008), and The Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States (Globe Pequot, 2008), among others. 

She is a member of Women in International Security, International Studies Association, American Political Science Association, the… Read more

Occupation: Professor
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan

Fatah, Dr Rebwar

The Expert has worked as an expert witness on the Middle East, producing Country Expert Reports (CER) for the past 20 years.

The Expert has produced on average between 200-300 reports each year on the MENA region for British, European, and US courts.

The Expert’s areas of expertise include tribal issues, gender-based violence, security issues, extremist groups and militias, human rights law and violations, the situation for minorities, trafficking, and the availability of medical services. In addition to CERs,

The Expert also authenticates documents from the region, and conducts nationality and ethnicity reports in order to assess the likely origin of an individual within MENA.

The Expert is able to conduct nationality assessments in Arabic, Farsi, Sorani, and Bahdini/Kurmanji.

Occupation: Director – Middle East Consultancy Services
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Ghaderi, Dr Farangis

The expert is lecturer in Kurdish and Gender Studies at the University of Exeter and has extensive experience in providing country expert reports, nationality assessment, and language analysis.

Occupation: Lecturer in Gender and Kurdish Studies (University of Exeter);
Middle East Expert Witness and Consultant
Countries of expertise: Iran, Iraq, Iraq (Kurdistan Regional Government)

Ghobadi, Dr Kaveh

Independent researcher. Country expert reports, nationality assessment, language analysis, Gender-based violence, Ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East, and Document authentication.

Occupation: Independent Researcher
Countries of expertise: Iran, Iraq, Iraq (Kurdistan Regional Government), Syria, Turkey

Hafidh, Dr Hasan

The Expert is a Lecturer in Comparative Politics and International Relations of the Middle East. 

Occupation: Lecturer in Comparative Politics of the Middle East (Gulf Specialism), Expert of Islamic Countries
Countries of expertise: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Kakhki, Mohammad Hedayati

Iranian Lawyer and PhD in Middle East international politics and law (Durham Univ) - with vast experience in producing expert reports on Iranian Law and the Judicial System; also available to comment on the authentication of legal and other official documents.

Occupation: Iranian lawyer and lecturer in international comparative criminal law; member of the International Bar Association and its Human Rights Institute.
Countries of expertise: Iran

Kashefi, Roya

Roya Kashefi is the head of  Human Rights Committee of Association des Chercheurs Iraniens (ACI), an international non-profit organisation dedicated to unbiased and objective study of Iranian issues. Roya has presented papers at many international conferences including the United Nations, UK, European and EU Parliaments. Roya has a close working relationship with ethnic and religious groups inside and outside Iran as well as expert knowledge of Iranian political groups and parties.

Occupation: Senior Researcher and Head of Human Rights Committee – Association des Chercheurs Iraniens (ACI)
Countries of expertise: Iran

Laizer, Sheri J

Extensive experience in expert reports on all the countries listed, and also in particular, Kurds in country of origin and diaspora

Occupation: Freelance writer & broadcast journalist since 1985 specializing in the Near East; photographer; political commentator, Middle East country of origin specialist
Countries of expertise: Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Syria, Turkey

Landesmann, Sonya

Intercultural and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, specialising in issues relevant to various Muslim countries, incl vendettas, honour killing, domestic violence, PTSD, Rape Trauma Syndrome, assault in detention and traumas of migration and exile.

Occupation: Intercultural and psychoanalytic psychotherapist. Formerly taught English to speakers of other languages. Also worked for the Refugee Council, Goldsmiths’ College, and Nafsiyat Inter cultural Therapy Centre.
Countries of expertise: Albania, Iran, Iraq, Turkey

Nayyeri, Dr Mohammad

Iranian lawyer with substantial work experience with clients, courts, police, etc in Iran, as well as international organizations. Expert in Iranian legal system and Islamic law. Available also for authentication of Iranian documents. 

Occupation: Iranian Attorney at Law and Country Expert, Lecturer in Law at Brunel University of London
Countries of expertise: Iran

Panjwani, Dr Imranali

Dr. Imranali Panjwani is the Head of Diverse Legal Consulting, UK (www.diverselegal.com) and a Lecturer in Law at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, Essex. He has the unique combination of being a lawyer and academic having lived and worked in the UK, Middle East and Australia. His country expert reports draw upon primary country and theological sources with stringent analysis of evidence, law and language. He resides in the UK.

Occupation: Head of Diverse Legal Consulting, UK & Lecturer in Law at Anglia Ruskin University
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Gaza Strip, India, Iran, Iraq, Iraq (Kurdistan Regional Government), Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, West Bank, Yemen

Rahimi, Sadeq

The Expert’s research and publication interests have covered diverse aspects of culture, health and subjectivity ranging from collective self-esteem and perception of racism to schizophrenia and culture, political subjectivity, radicalization, clinical trials, behavioral economics, and artificial intelligence.

Occupation: Anthropologist, psychotherapist
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Canada, France, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States of America

Rashti, Samim

Former practising solicitor in Iran with expertise of the Iranian legal and court system and Iranian documents. Fluent in Farsi.

The Expert does authenticate, Iranian Birth certificate, National ID card, ID card, Driving licence, Military service card, insurance book

Doubted Iranian nationality by Home office (they have asked 100 easy questions about Iran, the city he lived, food price, petrol price, money, rent, houses, address, school, mosque, bridge, street, river, mountain, park, taxi fare, taxi colour, football team, Emam of mosque, cemetery,  cars made in Iran….,

Percentage of genuine or fake documents The Expert reported

From 2013 to 2022, (they received 238 cases) more than 62% of case or documents I reported were negative or fake. Less than 38% were genuine.

From 2015 to 2022, they receive 46 ID cards or birth certificates, 38 fake, just 8 genuine, 83% fake, 17% genuine.

From 2013 to 2020, they intertwined 10 cases (their nationality was doubted by Home office), in two cases, The Expert confirm their nationality as Iranian, and in 10 cases, they refuse them.

In two case they insisted they are Iranian, and The Expert has sent a lawyer (my colleague in Iran) to their village to investigate about them, and they were not… Read more

Occupation: Former Iranian lawyer
Countries of expertise: Iran

Tabishat, Professor Mohammed

The Expert earned his Ph.D. from Cambridge University and currently holds the position of Visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Social Science at Qatar University. Prior to this, he has undertaken a series of significant roles, including:

Head of Research Unit and Associate Professor of Social Sciences at CAS, Dhofar University, Salalah, Oman, from 2019 to 2022. Director of the Language Centre & International Relations at Madaba University from 2018 to 2019. Visiting Faculty and Head of Future Forum at Ajman University, UAE, during 2017-2018. Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at AUC, Cairo, Egypt, from 2010 to 2017. Assistant Professor at United Arab Emirates University, UAE, spanning from 2004 to 2010. Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Dickinson College, PA, during 2003-2004. Visiting Assistant Professor of Media Arabic at NYU, NYC, from 2002 to 2003. Adjunct Professor of Arabic at Columbia University in NYC in 1999-2000.
Occupation: Consultant, anthropologist, professor
Countries of expertise: Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Oman, Syria, Yemen

Tushar, Md Solaiman

The Expert is a Barrister-at-Law of England and Wales. The Expert is a practicing Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He holds the position of Head of Chambers at "Justice for All', with nearly a decade's experience in legal practice. The expert regularly moves before the Supreme Court of Bangladesh for various matters including Writ (Judicial Review), Criminal and Civil Appeal and Revision, Bail Petition, Intellectual Property, Company Matter, Inheritance, Public Interest Litigation, Muslim Personal Law,  Succession Law,  Hindu Law, etc.

Parallel to his legal pursuits, the expert is the Legal Affairs and Political Editor of The Daily Campus and columnist. Accumulatively, he possesses over 18 years of sustained experience as a Journalist in Bangladesh, having written extensively on a broad range of issues, including human rights, the criminal justice system, politics, education, health, mental health, and international laws.

The Expert is an academic specialist in the politics and international relations of South Asia, & the Middle East with almost two decades of experience studying the region. The Expert has conducted research, advisory, and consultancy work in Bangladesh on the formal and informal justice systems, freedom of speech and other… Read more

Occupation: Barrister-at-Law, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Researcher, Journalist, and Columnist.
Countries of expertise: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Yemen