Dr Devika Persaud

Country Expert — Guyana, Suriname: 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.

Occupation

• Country Witness Expert on Guyana and Suriname
• Human Rights Specialist
• Legal Researcher and Academic Consultant
• Independent Journalist and Investigative Reporter on Human Rights

Expertise

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:

Guyana: Guyana is defined by deep ethnic polarisation between its Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese communities, a division that permeates political life, state resource allocation, and access to justice. Elections have historically been accompanied by ethnic violence, intimidation, and allegations of fraud, with supporters of losing parties facing reprisals and exclusion from public sector employment. Indigenous Amerindian communities in the interior face severe marginalisation, land rights violations linked to mining and forestry concessions, and inadequate access to healthcare and education. Domestic violence and gender-based violence are endemic, with widespread impunity and insufficient protective services. LGBT individuals face criminalisation under colonial-era sodomy laws, social hostility, and documented police harassment. The rapid expansion of the offshore oil industry has exacerbated governance challenges, corruption, and environmental concerns affecting indigenous territories.

Suriname: Suriname faces persistent governance challenges rooted in institutional weakness, corruption, and a legacy of authoritarian rule. Indigenous and Maroon (Afro-descendant) communities in the interior face systematic exclusion from land rights protections, with their territories affected by illegal gold mining operations that cause environmental destruction and mercury contamination. The justice system remains under-resourced, with limited capacity to investigate and prosecute human rights violations. Gender-based violence is prevalent, with domestic violence normalised in many communities and protective services concentrated in the capital Paramaribo. LGBT individuals face social stigma and discrimination despite the absence of explicit criminalisation. Political opposition figures have faced legal harassment and intimidation. Ethnic tensions among the diverse Hindustani, Javanese, Maroon, and Creole population groups occasionally manifest in discriminatory practices affecting access to employment and public services.

Experience

• Expert Witness (2017—Present): Regularly instructed by legal practitioners in the United Kingdom and the United States to prepare expert reports and provide oral testimony in asylum and immigration proceedings relating to Guyana and Suriname, addressing ethnic persecution, domestic violence, and LGBT claims.
• Country Condition Reports: Authored detailed country condition reports for courts, tribunals, and legal representatives covering all Refugee Convention grounds in Guyana and Suriname.
• Academic Researcher, University of Guyana: Conducted university-level research on ethnic relations, governance, and human rights in Guyana and the broader Caribbean region, contributing to scholarly publications and policy recommendations.
• Consultant to Human Rights Organisations: Provided expert analysis on ethnic discrimination, gender-based violence, and indigenous rights to regional and international NGOs operating in the Guianas.
• Expert Member of The Human Rights Experts: Active expert within The Human Rights Experts international expert witness organisation, contributing to analytical frameworks for reports on Guyana and Suriname.

Full professional experience is available in the CV. Please email us to receive the detailed expert CV.

Publications

Available upon request and detailed in the expert CV.

Languages

• English (Native)
• Dutch (Fluent)
• Sranan Tongo (Conversational)

Religious Groups Expertise

All religious groups

Contact Email

info@thehuman-rights.com