THE TEAM

DR Yasmin Nahlawi

Board Member/ Chairperson

Dr Yasmin Nahlawi (PhD in International Law, Newcastle University, United Kingdom) is a legal adviser specializing in international legal mechanisms and procedures related to armed conflicts and the protection of civilians. She is the Director of Dar Adala, an organization dedicated to investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Syrian context. She is also a co-founder of My Justice (Adalati), an organsation that seeks to empower women to influence and lead efforts to understand and achieve justice in Syria.

Dr Nahlawi has published numerous research works, including:
The Responsibility to Protect in Libya and Syria: Mass Atrocities, Human Protection, and International Law (Routledge, 2020).

ABDULAZIZ ALMASHI

Board Member

Abdulaziz Almashi is a Network and Cyber Security Consultant. He moved to the UK in 2009 to do his postgraduate studies at Queen Mary, University of London. Almashi was inspired by the democratic movements against dictatorship across the Arab world over the last decade. When the Syria Revolution sparked back in 2011, he became a prominent human rights activist leading various civil and political activities against the dictatorial regime of Assad. Almashi is the founder of the Syria Solidarity Campaign (SSC), and the co-founder of Solidarity with Refugees (SwR).
Anas Alaa-Eddin

Board Member/ Treasurer

Anas Alaa-Eddin is a policy and management consultant with extensive experience supporting Syrian civil society organisations and international NGOs operating in the Syrian context. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, and his work focuses on strengthening organisational effectiveness, policy development, and programmatic impact in complex humanitarian and political environments.

Anas survived detention by the Assad regime in March 2011 following his participation in the early Syrian uprising. This formative experience has shaped his enduring commitment to advancing Syrians’ legitimate aspirations for justice, dignity, and freedom. He has since led and supported multiple initiatives in education, child protection, and humanitarian relief, particularly serving Syrian refugee communities in Lebanon. He has also been active in supporting Syrian lobbying and advocacy networks in the UK.

DR HAYTHAM ALHAMWI

Board Member

Haytham Alhamwi was a prominent activist and community leader in Syria. In the early 2000s he started various civil initiatives in his hometown Darayya aiming to flourish the civil society and encourage local initiatives. As a result of his civil and peaceful activism, he was detained for two and half years between 2003 and 2005. After his release, he went back to his job as an Assisting Teacher at the Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University before we moved to the UK in 2007 to continue his postgraduate studies. With the start of the Syrian uprising in 2011, Haytham played a key role in the coordination with activists across the city of Manchester to enhance efforts of advocacy and humanitarian response supporting the Syrian cause. He then co-founded the Rethink Rebuild Society, a charity organisation that supports Syrian refugees in the UK, which he still leads. Dr Alhamwi holds MD and MSc degrees from the University of Damascus and a PhD in Occupational Epidemiology from the University of Manchester.
Maya Alestwani

Board Member/ Secretary

Maya Al-Astawani holds a Master’s degree in Medical Biotechnology and Business Management from the University of Warwick in the UK, in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Qatar University.

She works as a Business Development Manager at Cancer Research UK. She has volunteered in several initiatives supporting refugees and education, including the Padileia initiative at King’s College London, which guides refugee students in Lebanon and Jordan toward higher education, as well as the Student Action for Refugees initiative at the University of Warwick. She has also volunteered with UNICEF.

She has previously worked in the field of education in both Qatar and Syria and holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Education.

DR MOHAMED FADEL MOGHRABI

Board Member/ Vice-Chair

Mohamed Fadel Moghrabi is a Syrian British, Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Dr Fadel has been active in advocacy for Syria even before the start of the Syrian revolution. He is a member of the Association to Defend Detainees in Syria (ADDS) and the Chairman of the Political Committee for Syrian Detainees (PCSD) which is an international movement to advocate for the immediate release for all political detainees in Syria. Dr Moghrabi played active roles in supporting the Syrian Revolution since it started in 2011 through coordination, advocacy, and lobbying in the UK and internationally.
 
Roua Jumran
Board Member

Syrian journalist and media professional from Homs, currently based in London. She works as a news bulletin producer at the British channel Sky News and has contributed to the production of prominent political programs. Alongside her television work, she serves as a media consultant for diplomatic missions in London, providing media policy development, training, and political reporting.

Roua holds a Master’s degree in Media and Communications with distinction from Brunel University of London and has more than 16 years of experience in international media organizations, including Al Jazeera, the BBC, and Al Araby Television. Since the beginning of the Syrian revolution, her work has focused on media, training, and humanitarian projects related to Syrian affairs.

Samara Atassi

Board Member

Samara Atassi is a pharmacist and works currently in public health at Manchester City Council. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Damascus University and a Master’s in Conflict and International Development from the University of Bradford, as well as training in influencing, advocacy and political acumen from the London School of Economics and the American University of Beirut, and training in community research from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Samara is a Co‑founder, Trustee and the Executive Director of Souriyat Across Borders (SAB), a UK‑based organisation providing education and livelihood programmes for Syrian refugees in Jordan since 2013 and for internally displaced people, with a particular focus on women, youth and people with disabilities. She is also a board member for the Syrian Feminist Lobby, a trustee and board member of Rethink Rebuild Society.

DR SHARIF KAF AL-GHAZAL
Board Member
Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal is a Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand surgeon at Bradford Teaching Hospitals in West Yorkshire. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Medical School at the University of Leeds. He is one of the founders and the President of the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA). He is also the Editor of Chief of the Journal of the British Islamic Medical Association (JBIMA). He is the founder and an executive member of the International Society for History of Islamic Medicine (ISHIM), and one of the Editorial Board of the Journal published regularly by ISHIM in Turkey. He is also a member of the advisory board for Centre for Islam, Medicine & Research (CIMR) in Canada. Moreover, Dr Kaf Al-Ghazal was recently elected as Chairman of the Board of 1001 Cures Ltd; a new organisation owned by FSTC, an initiative to promote inter-cultural respect and appreciation through the history of medicine and health in Muslim and other civilisations. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC).
Soha Alakraa
Advocay & Engagement Coordinator
Soha Alakraa is a passionate advocate for human rights, gender justice, and social development with a strong background in advocacy and protection. She has extensive experience leading programs in conflict-affected regions, working with civil society organizations, and influencing policy at national and international levels. Currently serving as the Advocacy & Engagement Coordinator at SBC, Soha plays a key role in developing advocacy strategies, strengthening partnerships, and engaging with UK policymakers on Syrian-related issues. Previously, as Country Manager at Women Now for Development, she led operations in Turkey and Syria, overseeing programs on gender-based violence (GBV) and protection.Soha holds an MSc in Social Development Practice from University College London (UCL) and has completed leadership training with the Swedish Institute’s SI Leader Lab and The Geneva Learning Foundation’s Rapid Gender Analysis Program.
MAZEN GHARIBAH
Policy Advisor
Mazen Gharibah is a Syrian academic and civil society activist from Homs. He is a researcher at the Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit in the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Previously he worked as a governance advisor with Adam Smith International and GIZ and a consultant for several international think tanks. Mr Gharibah has a number of publications on legitimacy, elections and the roles of local governance and civil society actors during the Syrian conflict. He combines academic research with policy work and strong grassroot experience. Mr Gharibah has a Master’s degree in Governance, Development and Public Policy from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex.

Previous Board Members

 

DR ABDULKARIM EKZAYEZ

 

AMINA KHOULANI
 

 

 
IBRAHIM OLABI
 

 

 
SAMERA TAYAN
 

WAAD AL-KHATEAB