Political persecution analysis examines whether an appellant faces a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of political opinion under the Refugee Convention. This includes both actual political views and imputed political opinion, where a persecutor attributes political views regardless of whether the appellant holds them.
RT (Zimbabwe) [2012] UKSC established that imputed political opinion is a valid Convention ground. Persecution experts assess diaspora political activity in the UK, family associations with political opponents, and whether these create a genuine risk on return from state and non-state actors.
Expert reports address the Convention nexus, persecution threshold, state protection failures, and internal relocation feasibility for political persecution claims in FTT and Upper Tribunal proceedings.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I instruct a political persecution expert?
Instruct when the claim turns on actual or imputed political opinion, diaspora activity risk, or whether the appellant's profile creates a political opinion nexus. Early instruction allows 2 to 3 weeks for a standard report.
How does RT (Zimbabwe) [2012] apply to current claims?
RT (Zimbabwe) [2012] confirmed imputed political opinion as a valid Convention ground. Experts apply this authority to assess whether the appellant's profile, including UK political activity, creates an imputed opinion risk on return.