Persecution analysis expert reports examine whether the appellant faces a well-founded fear of persecution for a Refugee Convention reason — political opinion, religion, race, nationality, or membership of a particular social group. Experts assess Convention nexus, state protection failures, and internal relocation in the context of country conditions.
Leading authorities including HJ (Iran) [2010] UKSC (LGBTQ+ discretion rejected), RT (Zimbabwe) [2012] UKSC (imputed political opinion), and MOJ (Somalia) [2014] UKSC (state protection methodology) inform persecution analysis. Experts apply these frameworks to the appellant's specific profile and claimed fear.
Persecution analysis is distinct from country condition reporting. While country experts assess conditions on the ground, persecution experts analyse Convention methodology, nexus, and persecution threshold. Many cases require both. Specialist persecution reports are available through persecutionexpert.com — see our network directory.
Reports comply with Immigration Tribunal Practice Direction 2024, the Adam Pipe October 2025 expert report guide, and Ikarian Reefer independence principles. Experts owe a paramount duty to the tribunal, not the instructing party.
HJ (Iran) [2010] UKSC — Four-Stage Test (LGBTQ+ Asylum)
The Supreme Court in HJ (Iran) [2010] UKSC 31 rejected the requirement that LGBTQ+ asylum claimants conceal their sexuality to avoid persecution. Expert reports addressing sexuality-based persecution in UK tribunals should apply this framework:
- Is the claimant gay (or perceived as gay)?
- Do they have to conceal their sexuality to avoid persecution?
- Would concealment be reasonably tolerable?
- If not, is there a real risk of persecution?
RT (Zimbabwe) [2012] UKSC — Imputed Political Opinion
In RT (Zimbabwe)[2012] UKSC 38, the Supreme Court held that political opinion may be imputed to a claimant by persecutors — a person may be at risk for perceived opposition to the government even without actual political activity. Expert persecution analysis for UK tribunals should address whether state or non-state actors would impute dissenting political opinion to the appellant's profile, including family associations, region, or past conduct.
Related Resources
- Persecution Expert (network)
- Report types hub
- CPIN & Country Guidance
- Report standards
- How to instruct
- Contact us
- Political opinion asylum guide
- FTT asylum appeals
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a persecution expert report?
A persecution expert report analyses whether the appellant faces a well-founded fear of persecution for a Refugee Convention reason — assessing nexus, state protection, and internal relocation in the context of country conditions.
Persecution expert vs country condition expert — which do I need?
Country condition experts assess conditions on the ground. Persecution experts analyse Convention nexus and persecution methodology. Many cases require both. See /network for persecutionexpert.com.