Brian Dooley

Brian Dooley is a prominent Irish human rights activist and author who currently serves as a Senior Advisor at Human Rights First, a Washington DC-based NGO.12 His work primarily focuses on supporting human rights activists operating in hostile environments.1

Professional Background

Dooley has an extensive career in human rights advocacy:

• From 2020 to 2023, he served as Senior Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.23
• Prior to joining Human Rights First, he spent two decades working for various U.S., Irish, and international NGOs.1
• He held leadership positions at Amnesty International, including Head of Media in London and Dublin, and led their work on partnering with national NGOs in the global South.1
• Dooley also worked as Director of Communications for Public Citizen in Washington, D.C.1

Academic Roles and Recognition

In addition to his advocacy work, Dooley holds several academic positions:

• Honorary Professor of Practice at the Mitchell Institute, Queen's University Belfast (appointed in October 2023)2
• Visiting Scholar at University College London (UCL)23
• Previously served as a visiting scholar at John Jay College, City University of New York (2022-2023) and Fordham University Law School in New York (2019-2020)2

Areas of Expertise

Dooley is known for his work on various human rights issues:

• Engaging with governments to end threats to human rights activism2
• Reporting on political extremism and challenges to civil society in conflict zones, particularly in Ukraine2
• Authoring reports on topics such as ISIS recruitment in Egyptian prisons and corruption in Ukraine2
• Speaking at government, academic, and think tank events, as well as testifying at U.S. Congressional hearings2

Brian Dooley is active on social media, particularly on Twitter under the handle @dooley_dooley, where he is recognized as a prominent voice on human rights issues.24