Experts on countries of origin by country

Ali Kozad is a highly experienced Country Expert with over fifteen years' experience in government, diplomacy, public administration and international affairs. Drawing upon extensive first-hand experience advising on political systems, governance, state institutions and public policy, he provides independent expert reports for solicitors, barristers, tribunals and courts.

His expertise includes country conditions, political developments, government structures, public administration, diplomatic practice, civil documentation, nationality matters, state institutions and international relations. He accepts instructions in asylum, immigration, nationality, deportation, judicial review, public law and civil proceedings requiring expert evidence on country conditions and governmental matters.

His reports are impartial, evidence-based and prepared in accordance with the duties of an independent expert witness.

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

Dr. Basem Mahmud is a Syrian-Spanish sociologist specializing in emotions, forced migration, and post-conflict recovery, with deep expertise in Syria’s social and cultural contexts. Born and raised in Syria, his lived experience enriches his academic and applied research, providing nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by displaced populations. He holds a PhD in Sociology, supported by a DAAD fellowship, and was awarded the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship for postdoctoral research on refugee labor and structural inequalities in the global economy. His work bridges academic research and practical field applications through partnerships with international organizations, civil society, and research institutes. He focuses on key issues such as transitional justice, civic engagement, community resilience, victim-centered documentation, and social reconstruction in Syria and similar post-conflict settings. Fluent in Arabic, English, and Spanish, Dr. Basem Mahmud combines advanced qualitative and mixed-methods research skills with deep contextual knowledge. He is committed to collaborating on evidence-based projects that foster social transformation and sustainable recovery. Clients can expect strategic research insights, expert project leadership,… Read more

Hugh Miles is an award-winning journalist, consultant, and founder with over 20 years of localised experience in Cairo researching Arab society, politics, and security. Named Times / Sky News Young Journalist of the Year, his reporting has been featured by the BBC, The New York Times, and The Guardian. 

Leveraging his deep regional expertise, Mr. Miles advises governments and multilateral institutions. He provides ongoing briefing sessions to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on organised crime and media environments and contributes to the US State Department and EU-funded Global Organised Crime Index.

As an entrepreneur, he is the founder of Al Shafie Miles, an expert consultancy that has advised blue-chip companies and the UNHCR across North Africa, and Arab Digest, an elite geopolitical intelligence network whose membership spans the UN, the UK Prime Minister's Office, Barclays, and Ivy League universities. He is fluent in Arabic and French.

I am an international practitioner working across Africa and the Middle East, supporting complex cross-border and regional matters. My work is grounded in practical experience, cultural awareness, and careful judgment in sensitive situations.

Kawa Morad (MA, PhD) is a lecturer in social anthropology, based in Exeter, with a focus on forced migration and/in the Middle East. He has extensive experience in providing language analysis and country expert reports on internal displacement, gender-based violence, medical/psychiatric care and access, statelessness, LGBTQ+ communities and others in Syria, Iraq, and Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

CEO and founder at Xsolutions Ltd, is an experienced advocate in the appellate court of Egypt. With over 12 years of practice, they specialize in various legal areas, including Egyptian Civil Law, human rights, domestic abuse, trade regulations, criminal law, and Sharea (Islamic Law). They collaborate closely with lawyers, judges, and the Ministry of Interior on national security and civil registration cases. Additionally, they provide reports related to human rights, asylum, gender violence, and political persecution.

I am an expert on Syria, Iraq, and Iran with eight years of experience as an Army intelligence officer and six years as a senior political and security risk analyst for companies, governments, NGOs, and insurers. I was interviewed by Matthew Wright on LBC about the fate and ambitions of Iranian Kurds exiled in Iraq. My work was cited in reports by the US congress, the government of Spain, the Counter-Terrorism Centre of Excellence (funded by Germany and the UNODC), Voice of America, and others. My reports are recognised for being clear, concise and evidence based. I also produce bespoke maps that illustrate armed group activity and risk zones, making complex dynamics readily accessible.

Criminologist and gender expert with over 15 years’ experience advising the United Nations, governments and international organisations on gender, women’s rights, civilian protection, reintegration, policing and security institutions, including in conflict and post-conflict settings. She is Founder and Director of Daleel Advisory, a London-based research and expert-witness practice providing country-of-origin evidence for asylum, immigration and family law proceedings.

Specialist in gender-based violence and victim-centred approaches in policing and justice contexts, with a focus on how social norms and institutional responses shape risks and access to protection. She has direct experience working with police, ministries and humanitarian actors in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine and comparable political and institutional environments. Fluent in Arabic and Ukrainian.

LLM, Human Rights, University of East London.UK 2008   

LLB (Hons) Law, Egypt 1983-1988

BA (Bachelor of Arts) in Law, Egypt                                                International Bar Association Membership UK,1010176-2019     

Bar Association Egypt ‘’regulator lawyer’’ 131729- 1993- 2026

Human Rights (Joint Committee) UK Membership / 2007

An International Expert on Asylum & Human Rights UK 2008-2026

Hemn Seyedi holds a PhD in Kurdish Studies, University of Exeter. He was also awarded Mphil in Iranian Studies (2019) and MSc in Middle East Politics (2017). With the cooperation of some colleagues, Seyedi established the Middle East Institution for Democratic Developments, MEIDD, focusing on research and democratic developments in the Middle East.

One of the main services of the institution is providing professional advice and reports to the courts, solicitors, and the Home Office case workers. It can offer impartial, evidence-based, and fresh analysis of the socio-political situations in Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, including the governments and societies within these countries.

Hemn Seyedi is in contact with people from these countries, ranging from ordinary individuals to lecturers, journalists, and lawyers. He is also in partnership with universities, institutions, and research centres within the region and globally, which work on Middle Eastern politics and its social changes.

Alongside the research and academic activities, Seyedi is active on social media, with 21,000 followers on Facebook, 68,000 on Instagram, and 91,000 on X (formerly Twitter), mainly from Iran and Iraq. The reason for this influence is that he has been a public figure on Farsi… Read more

Experienced in working with diverse populations, including women and girls, children and youth, refugees, internally displaced persons returnees, migrants, persons with disabilities, minority groups, rural communities, and marginalized populations. Strong commitment to inclusive development approaches, gender equality, social protection, human rights, accountability to affected populations, and sustainable solutions that strengthen community resilience. 

Fluent in English with professional experience working in multilingual and multicultural settings, including collaboration with French, Arabic, and local-language-speaking communities through direct communication and interpretation support where required. Experienced in navigating complex cultural and political environments while building trust and effective partnerships with national and international stakeholders.

BBC journalist, film-maker and broadcaster with extensive experience of travelling to and investigating human rights abuses in Russia, including Chechnya, Belarus and other parts of the former USSR. Also considerable experience working with victims of human rights abuses in location in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Israel / Palestine, China, Turkey and Cuba.

Her academic and professional qualifications include an undergraduate in Psychology (Academic year: 1997) and a postgraduate degree and training (Academic year: 1997-98 and 1999-2000) in Clinical Psychology; clinical work is diverse and covers assessment and therapy for adults and minority ethnic groups for various conditions. As a multilingual psychologist with multi-cultural experience, she can assess efficiently and provide culturally emotional sensitive service

Her employment history involves working as a psychologist:

She used to work with Nafas Drug Treatment Centre, Age Concern, Special People, Social Action for Health, The UK Centre for Counselling & Psychotherapy, London School of Psychology and Health, Flow Neuroscience and Centre for Psychological Health (She has prepared numerous well-referenced expert reports for UK institutions including the Family Court, Immigration Court, Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, and Land Registry. Her work integrates factual findings with comprehensive assessments and evidence-based analysis. She has prepared over 150 expert psychological and country reports, guided by a strong commitment to ethical and professional standards.

Professional Memberships and Affiliations:

She is… Read more

Dr Omer Tekdemir is an expert on the Middle Eastern region and an analyst of its legal, social, political, and cultural dynamics, providing consultancy on economic and governmental affairs. He is an Associate Professor in Interdisciplinary Studies and Associate Head of School at the School of Law. He holds a PhD from the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University (2013), and an MA in Contemporary Political Theory and International Relations from the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Westminster, London.

Dr Tekdemir is the Managing Editor of the open-access journal New Middle Eastern Studies and has previously held the role of convener of the British International Studies Association (BISA) working group on Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian Studies. His research interest lies in violence, terrorism, security, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, post-conflict societies, nationalism, identity, democratization, populism, migration, diaspora, stateless peoples, and transnational justice, with a particular focus on the Kurds and Middle East. He is the author of a book on the Kurds and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes.

Countries of Expertise: Syria (and to a lesser extent Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey).

I write books and articles about the political, military, economic, social and cultural conditions in Syria. My most recent book is The Blood Between Us: Syria’s Revolutionary Transition (Saqi, 2026). My journalism has been published at The Guardian, New Lines Magazine, Time, Newsweek, Unherd, Al Jazeera, the New Statesman and other outlets. The BBC and others have frequently interviewed me on Syria.

I am also the chief English editor of the Syria Prisons Museum and the ISIS Prisons Museum; these are documentation projects producing evidence of crimes in prisons run by the Assad regime and ISIS for use in trials and for wider justice and accountability purposes.

As well as prisons, I focus on transitional justice, militias, sectarianism, and political and economic development.

Dr. Abduslam Zagud is a British-Libyan expert witness specialising in Arab socio-political affairs, Islamic law, tribal and community dynamics, and international human rights. He holds a doctorate in General International Law and brings over 17 years of combined academic, professional, and lived experience across the Arab world to his expert practice. Dr Zagud holds an intensive research experience on international public law, international human rights law, international relations and immigration law. 

As a Libyan national who has lived, studied, and worked across multiple Arab countries, and who maintains active community ties in the United Kingdom, Dr. Zagud occupies an unusual position among country experts: he shares the language, culture, religious traditions, and social frameworks of the people he writes about. This enables a depth of insight that goes beyond conventional desk research. Arab nationals speak candidly with him, update him on conditions on the ground, and provide the kind of nuanced, lived detail that is rarely accessible to an outside observer.

He is a Full Member of the SOAS Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Centre and holds Law Society accreditation as a Supervising Senior Caseworker in Immigration and Asylum Law. He works… Read more