Aarif Abraham

Practice Areas

International Law

Public International Law

International Criminal Law

International Human Rights Law

Sanctions

Administrative & Public Law

Criminal Law

International Arbitration

Career

Aarif Abraham is a barrister, writer, and speaker specialising in international criminal law and public international law, including investment arbitration, sanctions, and international human rights law. He also has a vibrant practice relating to treaty drafting and interpretation, international arbitration, and international commercial disputes.

Aarif advises States, individuals, companies, public interest groups, and international organisations, including the United Nations, on public international law, international criminal law, and international human rights law. He also advises policy makers, parliamentarians, and practitioners on foreign policy matters, constitutional issues, and peacebuilding. Over the past five years, he has extensively advised on and assisted in establishing tribunals, panels and inquiries. His domestic practice focuses on public law and criminal defence with a special focus on protest rights and appeals.

Aarif’s most recent and high-profile work includes advising on the creation of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression committed in Ukraine (working with Prof. Philippe Sands KC and former heads of government), acting as sole Counsel to a State Party (the Government of Lithuania) on a referral to the International Criminal Court, acting as co-counsel and principal legal advisor to the Uyghur Tribunal, founding and overseeing the work of the Yazidi Justice Committee, and supporting several parliamentary enquiries as external advisor. Aarif has acted as an advisor to various international initiatives, including on the Genocide Determination Bill, Genocide Prevention Bill, and several All-Party Parliamentary Groups concerning international law and/or foreign policy.

Aarif is the founder of Accountability Unit, an NGO specialising in conflict-resolution and justice issues.

Professional Memberships

Founder, Member and Consultant, pro bono, Accountability Unit (since 2015); Founder, Yazidi Justice Committee (since 2020); Advisor, Hazara Inquiry, UK Parliament (since 2022); Principal Advisor, Genocide Determination Bill 2022

External Advisor to All-Party Parliamentary Group (AAPG) on Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity; APPG on Ukraine; and APPG on International Law, Justice and Accountability (2020 – present)

Co-opted Member, Bar Liaison Committee, Qualifying and Training Committee, Context of Law Series Committee, The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (since 2020)

Associate, Manchester International Law Centre, University of Manchester (since 2021)

List of Specialist Co-Counsel, Defence Office and the Victims’ Participation Office, Kosovo Specialist Chambers, The Hague (since 2020)

Expert, Council of Experts, American Bar Association’s International, Criminal Justice Section (Atrocity Crimes Initiative) (since 2019)

Expert, Justice Rapid Response (JRR), International Criminal Law Justice Experts Roster & JRR-UN Women SGBV Justice Experts Roster (since 2018)

Co-Opted Trustee, St Ethelburga’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation (since 2025)

Advisor, Advisory Board, Centre for Access to Justice and Inclusion, Anglia Ruskin University (since 2020)

Trustee, Coalition for Genocide Response (since 2020)

Convener, International Law Team, Garden Court North Chambers (2020-2023)

Advisor, Advisory Board, Centre for Access to Justice and Inclusion, Anglia Ruskin University (since 2020)

Rostered for instructions, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (since 2016)

Rostered for instructions, UNAIDS and UNAIDS Technical Support Mechanism (since 2018)

Member, Bar Human Rights Committee (since 2019)

Member of the Society of the Inner Temple as a Barrister who has transferred to the Bar of England and Wales (since 2016)

Member of the Law Society of England and Wales as a Qualified Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales (since 2011)

Publications

Project Syndicate, “Belarus in the Dock”, Oct 2024.

Project Syndicate, “Who Should Decide If It’s Genocide?”, Apr 2024.

Accountability Unit, Legal Note, “Genocide: A Short Primer on the Law”, Nov 2023.

American Bar Association’s International Criminal Law Practice Project, “Judgment Drafting Guide”, Sep 2023 [Contributing Author and Expert Reviewer].

UNAIDS, “Practical Guide to Ending HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination”, Sep 2023.

POLITICO Europe, “There ought to be no hiding place for Putin”, Mar 2023.

Law.com, “Why a special tribunal on Ukraine is critical for justice for all”, written with Dr. Carrie McDougall, Jan 2023.

The House Magazine, “The UK’s support is critical to establish a special tribunal to prosecute Russian crimes of aggression”, Dec 2022.

Politics Home, “Countries must face the International Court of Justice over Yazidi genocide”, Jul 2022.

Yazidi Justice Committee, “State Responsibility and the Yazidi Genocide”, Jul 2022 [Principal Co-Author].

The House Magazine, “The UK must support a special international tribunal to try Putin for the war in Ukraine”, May 2022.

The Times, “We need a special tribunal to bring Putin to justice”, Mar 2022.

Uyghur Tribunal, “Advisory opinion on the applicable law on genocide and crimes against humanity”, Oct 2021. [Author and Lead, other counsel are signatories only]

Accountability Unit, contributed various legal briefings on ICL, IHRL, and IHL, 2020-present. .

St Ethelburga’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, “Pathways of resistance: Resilience, potentiality and power in the pursuit of justice”, Feb 2022.

Wilson Center, “A Constitution of the People: Achieving a Durable Peace in Bosnia”, Jun 2021.

Columbia University Press and Ibidem Press, “A Constitution of the People and How to Achieve It” [Published Book], 2021.

The Justice Gap, “Is Britain in a constitutional crisis and, if so, is it terminal?”, Apr 2021.

IBA Human Rights Institute, “High-Level Briefing Paper on the Genocide Amendment to the UK Trade Bill”, Jan 2021.

Bar Human Rights Committee, “The responsibility of states under International Law to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims”, Jul 2020 [Principal Co-Author].

UNAIDS submission to Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on the draft General Recommendation on Trafficking in Women and Girls in Context of Global Migration, May 2020.

Education

Industry Sector Expertise

Public International Law

Aarif is an experienced policy and legal adviser on matters concerning public international law, including on issues at intersecting with international criminal law. He has a long history of working in courts, non-governmental organisations, and international organisations. Aarif has advised widely on conflict resolution and the legal implications thereof in relation to conflicts or crises in Bosnia, Turkey, Iraq, Myanmar, Syria, the former Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Libya, among others.

Aarif has extensive experience drafting applications and submissions to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), United Nations Special Procedures, United Nations treaty bodies, and other international courts, tribunals, and panels. He advises on proceedings before the International Court of Justice. He also regularly undertakes advisory and drafting work on international law matters, both on a consultancy and pro-bono basis.

International Arbitration, Investment Arbitration and Sanctions

Aarif’s arbitration and sanctions work spans a number of different practice areas: acting as counsel in commercial arbitration matters; advising on judicial review of government decisions impacting companies; acting as counsel in investor-State disputes and in investment arbitrations; applying for injunctions and disclosure orders; providing advice and leading seminars on State expropriation of property; advising on compliance with international sanctions (Russia, Iran, Cuba, and Libya); and litigating and advising widely on human rights matters in the UK and a number of other countries, including issues arising from equality and anti-discrimination law.

International Criminal and Humanitarian Law

Aarif has more than a decade of experience working on international criminal (ICL) and humanitarian law (IHL) issues. He has provided extensive advice, and acted in proceedings, before international courts or tribunals in his capacity as Counsel to States, international organisations and public interest organisations. He has conducted litigation, advocacy, research, mentoring, and investigation work on international criminal law matters related to several countries. He lectures and advises widely on ICL and IHL issues with a focus on mass atrocity crimes, including genocide. He is currently on the roster of candidates for instruction for several United Nations bodies.

International Human Rights Law

Aarif’s public international law (PIL) work spans several different practice areas and countries, and he advises individuals, companies, public interest groups, and States in respect of public international law claims.

His PIL matters have included case work and/or the provision of advice at the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, Bar Human Rights Committee, EU Delegation to the UK, European Court of Human Rights, Council of Europe, Accountability Unit, Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), US Centre for Disease Control, and the Democratic Progress Institute.

Aarif is a consultant at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) advising on the application of human rights to public policy. He also works (as a co-founder) with the consultancy Accountability Unit, which advises parliamentarians, practitioners, NGOs, and others on legal redress (including State responsibility) for gender-related harm in conflict settings, including on issues related to genocide, discrimination, torture, and slavery.

Public Law

Aarif’s public law work spans a number of different practice areas: advising on judicial review of government decision-making in relation to decisions about prosecution of international crimes; drafting legislation giving effect to obligations of core international treaties related to human rights or international crimes; advising on changing the law relating to implementation or applications of sanctions; advising on judicial review or appeal of domestic criminal cases; and litigating and advising widely on human rights matters in the UK and a number of other countries, including issues arising from equality and anti-discrimination law.