London, United Kingdom
Country Expert — Human Rights, Political Situation & Asylum Cases
Sierra Leone, Liberia & Gambia Expert — Human Rights, Political Situation & Asylum Cases
Expert at The Human Rights Experts, an international expert witness organisation.
We provide expert witness reports for asylum cases worldwide, covering human rights violations, political persecution, and systemic oppression. Our reports are trusted by lawyers, courts, and immigration authorities, in full compliance with procedural standards and tribunal requirements in the UK (CPR Part 35, Upper Tribunal PD, First-tier Tribunal IAC PD), USA (Federal Rules of Evidence), Canada, and the EU.
I provide expert analysis on all five Refugee Convention grounds — political opinion, religion, ethnicity, membership of a particular social group (including LGBT and gender-based cases), and nationality — with a focus on the following countries:
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone continues to grapple with the legacy of its 1991-2002 civil war, including the reintegration of former combatants and the trauma carried by communities that experienced mass amputations, sexual slavery, and the forced conscription of children. Post-conflict political competition between the two dominant parties has produced episodes of politically motivated violence, with the August 2022 protests resulting in security forces killing demonstrators and conducting mass arrests of opposition supporters under states of emergency. Ethnic and regional identity closely tracks political affiliation, and individuals perceived as supporting the opposition in government-controlled areas face intimidation and loss of employment. Women and girls experience extraordinarily high rates of sexual and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, and female genital mutilation, which is practised by a majority of the female population as part of initiation into the Bondo society and remains politically sensitive to challenge. Same-sex conduct is criminalized with up to life imprisonment under the colonial-era Offences Against the Person Act, and LGBT individuals face arrest, extortion by police, and violent community attacks.
Liberia: Liberia's post-civil war recovery remains fragile, with weak rule of law, endemic corruption, and an under-resourced justice system leaving many communities reliant on customary and mob justice. Former combatants who participated in the two civil wars remain unintegrated, and the failure to establish a war crimes court has left survivors without accountability and perpetrators occupying positions of power. Ethnic tensions, particularly between the Mandingo Muslim minority and communities that associate them with wartime factions, continue to produce discrimination and periodic violence. Women face extreme levels of sexual violence, with rape being the most commonly reported serious crime, alongside harmful traditional practices including female genital mutilation in rural areas. Same-sex relations are criminalized, and LGBT individuals face violent persecution, including recent legislative efforts to further tighten penalties, reflecting deep societal hostility.
Gambia: Gambia's political transition from authoritarian rule has been incomplete, with security sector reform proceeding slowly and former intelligence operatives implicated in torture, enforced disappearance, and political assassination remaining largely unaccountable. The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission documented extensive abuses, but implementation of its recommendations has stalled. Religious minorities and unorthodox Islamic groups face societal pressure in an overwhelmingly Muslim country, and journalists who investigate corruption or state abuses face threats and legal harassment. Women endure high rates of female genital mutilation, which the previous government briefly banned before his successor wavered on enforcement, and child marriage remains prevalent. Same-sex conduct is criminalized with imprisonment of up to life, and LGBT individuals face severe persecution, including vigilante violence and police targeting.
Full professional experience is available in the CV. Please email us to receive the detailed expert CV.
Available upon request and detailed in the expert CV.
All religious groups
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