Mr Ibrahim Olabi > Guernica 37 Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Mr Ibrahim Olabi

Position

Ibrahim is a barrister with specialised international law knowledge and experience with a focus on the Middle East. He works both on international legal cases as well as lobbying and advocating on policy matters linked to the region.  Ibrahim makes regular media appearance and has been interviewed by the BBC, CNN, The Guardian, The Financial Times, Aljazeera and Al-Arabiya. He is currently at the University of Oxford to deepen his knowledge in public policy. 

Ibrahim received personal invitations from Heads of States, delivered statements in international forums such as the United Nations Security Council, and regularly engages with policy makers in different capitals around the world on justice related issues relevant to the Middle East. 

Current Work: 

• Part of the legal team advising the Government of the Netherlands on its action to hold Syria accountable over breaches of the Torture Convection, a case which might end up before the International Court of Justice.
• Developing tools to address Syria’s readmittance to INTERPOL to mitigate the risk on human rights defenders 
• Building international judicial initiatives to hold preparators to account for the use of Chemical Weapons in Syria   
• Working with The Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Unit (SO15) on crimes linked to Syria. 

Career

• Founder of the Syrian Legal Development Programme (SLDP). SLDP has provided legal expertise to Syrian NGOs, including training that Ibrahim delivered to more than 550 trainees on a range of complex legal issues surrounding forced displacement, torture, UN mechanisms, facilitation of humanitarian aid and other matters. He has trained both in Syria, near the front lines, and in neighbouring countries.  SLDP also works on matters related to Business and Human rights, including sanctions, and has received funding from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Dutch Ministry. 

• Legal consultant on Syria related matters for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the crimes of forced displacement. 

• Legal consultant for The International Bar Association on building the capacity of NGOs on UN human rights mechanisms  

Languages

• English (Native)
• Arabic (Native)
• German (Limited working proficiency)

Memberships

The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple

Education

Master of Public Policy, University of Oxford (2021-2022)

Bar Practice Training Course, University of Law (2016-2018)

LLM, Security and International Law, University of Manchester (2014 – 2015)

LLB, University of Manchester (2011-2014)