معرفی
Ahmed Shaheed is Professor of International Human Rights Law at the University of Essex's School of Law and Human Rights Centre. He directs projects on Religion and Equality, Countering Islamophobia, and the Essex Summer School on Human Rights Research. He serves as UN adviser on hate speech and OSCE Panel of Experts member on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Research expertise includes:
- Freedom of religion/belief and gender equality
- Combating antisemitism and islamophobia
- Human rights and emerging technologies
- UN human rights mechanisms
- Progressive Islamic interpretations
His publications address human rights implementation, freedom of thought, and religious freedom in sustainable development contexts. Recent works examine conceptual foundations of human rights, state compliance mechanisms, and country-specific human rights assessments.
Major honors include:
- UN Foundation's Global Leadership Award (2015)
- Presidential Medal from Albania (2010)
- Multiple honorary doctorates
Professor Shaheed served as UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief (2016-2022) and previously on human rights in Iran (2011-2016). As Maldivian Foreign Minister (2005-2010), he led human rights reforms during democratic transition. He founded Universal Rights Group and is Senior Fellow at Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.
