EVENT ORGANISED BY
International Human Rights Advisors
Ben and Rhys set up International Human Rights Advisors (IHR Advisors) in 2019 to deal with their expanding international case work which focuses on international criminal and international human rights law and campaigns. IHR Advisors manages litigation for clients on any issue from submissions to the UN, politically motivated cross-border cases, to reputation management. IHR Advisors operates a full crisis-response service, encompassing media relations and real-time, legally integrated messaging development. In 2021/2022, Ben and Rhys were jointly named International Pro Bono Barrister of the Year. They were nominated for their work on the case of Ryan Cornelius, a British national who has been arbitrarily detained in prison in Dubai.
Rhys and Ben acted as counsel to a Fact-finding panel of UK parliamentarians, which reported on breaches of the rights of British women in the UAE. They have significant experience of commissioning panels and investigations concerning international human rights abuses. They are frequent speakers at human rights events at the United Nations in Geneva and the House of Commons and authors of numerous articles concerning justice in the Middle East and are in demand commentator on international human rights. Rhys and Ben are Editors of Red Notice Monitor.
About NAIMA Strategic Legal Services
NAÏMA Strategic Legal Services is a highly specialised communications firm whose core competence lies in strategic legal communications (Litigation-PR). Based in Berlin/Germany, the firm develops complex communications strategies for companies (NG)organisations, associations, and their top representatives involved in a legal dispute. FFounded in New York City NAÏMA has operated in various countries in Europe, North America and Asia. Today, after more than 20 years of practice, NAÏMA can point to a highly diversified portfolio of national and international companies and institutions that have been successfully represented together with national and international law firms. Founder Uwe Wolff is considered the consultant with the most prolonged and most profound experience in strategic Litigation-PR. He lectures and regularly publishes on Litigation PR and disinformation attacks. Uwe Wolff is also one of the three directors of the international Crisis & Litigation Communicators Alliance (CLCA) in London.
Speakers
Rhys Davies
Rhys is a leading International Criminal law and International Human Rights law barrister at Temple Garden Chambers. He is experienced in leading campaigns to free British and other citizens detained abroad. Rhys has significant experience in matters before the United Nations Special Procedures mechanisms, with numerous ongoing cases concerning matters of torture, arbitrary detention and forced displacement. Rhys has in-depth experience of both the UK and US Magnitsky sanctions regimes and has worked closely with leading global campaigners on efforts to sanction human rights abusers and corrupt officials. Rhys is a member of the List of Counsel for the International Criminal Court, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Rhys is an expert on INTERPOL and the Red Notice system and has extensive experience of advising clients detained at the behest of oppressive regimes.
Ben Keith
Ben Keith is a leading barrister specialising in International Criminal law and International Human Rights law at 5 St Andrew’s Hill Chambers. He is an expert on INTERPOL and the Red Notice system and subsequent extradition and asylum proceedings. He is Editor of Red Notice Monitor. Ben advises clients based all around the world and represents governments, political and military leaders, High Net Worth individuals, human rights defenders and business leaders in the most sensitive cases. He is a member of the List of Counsel for the International Criminal Court and Kosovo Specialist Tribunal in the Hague.
Ahmed Alshaiba Alnuaimi
Ahmed is a London-based human rights activist, writer and journalist from the UAE. Ahmed holds several directing positions. He is the founder and director of the Cambridge Education and Training Centre, President of the Arabian Gulf Center for Consultation and Training in Dubai UAE, Director of Sheikh Abdullah Al Shaiba Library for Sharia Sciences. Ahmed holds a MSc in Applied Educational Psychology and School Counselling.
Falah Sayed
Falah is a Human Rights Officer at MENA Rights Group. She litigates cases of human rights violations and conducts legal and policy research on patterns of violations in the MENA region. She holds a BA in Law from the University of Geneva and an LL.M in International Law from the Geneva Graduate Institute where she specialised in the protection of individuals in times of armed conflicts.
Matthew Hedges
Matthew is a British academic who was detained in the UAE in 2018 on suspicion of spying on behalf of the British government. In November 2018, Matthew was sentenced to life imprisonment in the UAE on charges of espionage in state security. Matthew was pardoned later in November 2018. He was awarded his PhD from Durham University and published it under the title Reinventing the Sheikhdom, Clan, Power, and Patronage in MBZ's UAE.