Tom Porteous directs Human Rights Watch's London Office. Since joining Human Rights Watch in October 2006 he has become a prominent voice for the protection and promotion of human rights in policy discussions in the UK and in the UK media. As the voice of Human Rights Watch in London, he covers the full range of Human Rights Watch issues, and has focused in particular on UK counterterrorism policies at home and abroad and UK policy in Africa. Before joining Human Rights Watch, Tom had notched up 25 years of experience working in journalism, conflict management and diplomacy in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. In the 1980s and early 1990s he was a freelance correspondent for The Guardian newspaper, the BBC and other media, first in Cairo and later in Berlin, Algeria and Morocco. Tom is a graduate of Oxford University where he studied Latin and Greek literature, ancient history and philosophy.

Articles

"Make Britain a Human Rights Champion," New Statesman, June 27, 2007

"Set to Rights," Guardian Unlimited, June 21, 2007

"Somalia: a Failing Counter-terrorism Strategy," Open Democracy, May 14, 2007