Rayhan Asat
Human Rights Lawyer & Advocate “VOXNews’ FuturePerfect50”
Rayhan Asat is a human rights lawyer and advocate of Uyghur heritage. In October 2022, Rayhan has been honored in the Vox News’ inaugural FuturePerfect50, a list of 50 visionary agents of change who are changing the world into a better place for everyone.
She serves as a Senior Fellow at The Atlantic Council and Tom & Andi Bernstein Fellow at Yale Law School. A graduate of Harvard Law and Osgoode Hall Law School, Rayhan started her career in a a major U.S. Wall Street law firm. Rayhan specializes in international law, international human rights law, and compliance with best business practices. Her legal and policy work centers around enforcing international human rights norms, civil liberties, curtailing forced labor, and promoting corporate accountability. She advised the World Bank and OECD to design Human-Centered Business Integrity Principles. She works with civil society, diplomats, lawmakers, and businesses to address human rights concerns, especially the atrocities in Xinjiang. Rayhan has testified before the US Congress and the parliaments around the world including the Canadian House of Commons, the UK House of Commons, European Parliament, and the Lithuanian parliament.
Rayhan is a sought-after speaker at national and frequent speaker at national and international law conferences. She was a featured speaker at the invitation of President Joseph Biden at the Summit for Democracy. She also appeared alongside world leaders in global forums and spoke at Geneva Summit for Democracy and Oslo Freedom and Global Progressive Forums. In Spring 2020, Rayhan also took part in the world’s foremost historical debating society, Oxford Union.
For her commitment to global peace and justice, Rayhan has been recognized as a senior fellow by the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights. She was recognized among 16 exceptional leaders and appointed as a World Fellow 2021 by Yale University. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Honorable Linda Thomas-Greenfield has praised Rayhan for her principled advocacy, determination, and courage. She serves as an advisor to several human rights organizations.
Her human rights advocacy has been featured in the New York Times, BBC, CNN, Voice of America, The Hill, the Globe and Mail, The UK Mirror, Al Jazeera, Quartz, Japanese TV shows, and many other media outlets. In addition to legal journals, her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, New Statesman, NBC, The Hill, The Platform, Just Security, The Lawfare, and many other prominent publications.
Rayhan loves teaching and mentoring students. She has coached American University Washington College of Law’s moot court team for three consecutive years, and she also serves as a mentor with LawWithoutWalls, a multi-disciplinary legal shark tank-style competition.
While at Harvard University, she was a teaching fellow and partnered with a leading Harvard Business School professor to teach a course on emerging markets. Rayhan loves exploring the intersection between law and business. She also completed two programs in Disruptive Strategy and Entrepreneurship Essentials courses at Harvard Business School Online. Rayhan served as the Chair of Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs (HAE) D.C.
AS FEATURED IN
MY WORK
SPEAKING
Is the UN Working? Model UN Speaker Annual Opening Speaker, Oxford University, October 2022
The international response to the Chinese government’s crimes against humanity targeting the Uyghurs, UN Side Event, New York, 2022.
Combatting Forced Labor: Challenges of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Yale Law School, and Yale Tsai China Center, April (2022)
Speaker on behalf of the opposition, “This House Believes Whatever is Necessary to Effect Change,” Oxford Debate Society, Oxford, March (2022)
The Uyghur Cause and its Global Impact, In Chat with Ambassador Stephen Rapp, Oxford Law School, March (2022)
Disinformation, Propaganda, and Mass Atrocity, Atlantic Council, February (2022)
Global Progressive Forum, November, Europe Progressives, (2021)
Human Rights Workshop, Yale Law School, September (2021)
Uyghur Crisis Expert Panel and Toolkit, Yale University Macmillan Center Genocide Studies Program, April (2021)
Three Women One Hope, Rene Cassin, April, (2021)
“Informal Discussion with Yale World Fellow on China”, Yale University, Paul Tsai China Center, April (2021)
Genocide, China, The Uyghurs and What We Have To Do, Young Fabians Criminal Justice Network, March, (2021)
Canada’s Response to the Uyghur Genocide, University of Toronto, March (2021)
“Human Rights & Business: Advancing Corporate and Consumer Responsibility and Accountability,” International Suit Talk Series, American University Washington College of Law, November (2020)
“The Uyghur Crisis,” Harvard Law School, November (2020)
“Uyghurs in Crisis: The Jewish Response,” American Jewish Community Relations Council, October (2020)
The Fire These Times Podcast Interview, September (2020)
“Global Law and Business Podcast,” August (2020)
“The Uyghur Human Rights Crisis,” Canadian House of Commons, July (2020)
Moderator, “Career Shifts, Pivoting to Offense in Challenging Times, and Remaining Passionate,” ATILA Discussion Series, April (2020)
“The Detained, Surveilled and Disappeared: Repression in Xinjiang,” Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, March (2020)
“World Bank Investigations & Anti-corruption Enforcement,” Harvard Law School, Cambridge, October (2019)
“Anti-corruption, International Investigations, and War Stories,” International Suits Talk, American University Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C., October (2019)
“Pursuing a Career in Global Anti-Corruption Law,” Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, February (2019)
“Current Developments in Investment Arbitration in China,” George Washington Law School, Washington, D.C., April (2018)
“An Overview of Investment Arbitration,” American University Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C., October (2017)
“MDB Sanctions Systems, Penn State Law,” Penn State University, PA, February (2017)
“Investment Arbitration Regime and the Legal Framework,” Harvard Law School, Cambridge (2016)
Moderator, “Efficiency in Arbitration,” Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, March (2016)
“Culture of Arbitration in Turkey," Arbitration Law Conference, Istanbul (2015)
“Turkey’s Construction and Legal Market,” China International and Economic Trade Arbitration Commission, Beijing, China (2014)
“Are We There Yet? Istanbul for a Center of International Arbitration,” Marmara University Conference, Istanbul, Turkey (2013)
PUBLICATIONS
Selected Articles:
Xinjiang’s Governor Should be Arrested and Not Welcomed by the British Government, NewStatesman, February 2023
Human Rights at the Core of Jackson and US Foreign Policy. Yale Journal of International Affairs, December 2022
Uniting for Uyghurs at the United Nations, Just Security, December 2022
China’s Transnational Repressions Gets Saudi Backing, Foreign Policy, April (2022)
Human Rights Lawyer’s Message to Yale Community, Yale Daily News, April (2022)
The US can lead the way to ending China’s modern slavery. My brother is counting on it, New Atlanticist, January (2022)
Yale Must Fight for Uyghur Freedom, Yale Daily News, October, ( 2022)
If Uyghur Lives Matter, The Olympics Should Move, The Wall Street Journal, June 06, 2021
Biden Call Chinese President Xi And Criticizes Abuse of Uyghurs. But We Need More Than Words, NBC Opinion. February, (2021)
U.S. China Policy Should Confront Genocide in Xinjiang First, Foreign Policy, January (2021)
Our Top Stories of 2020, Foreign Policy, December (2020)
“Professor Alford Beyond Harvard,” Harvard International Law Journal, December, (2020)
“The Uyghurs: We Need Another Hero,” The Hill Opinion, September (2020)
“China and Myanmar face Uighurs and Rohingya that are fighting Back after years of oppression,” NBC News Opinion, September (2020)
“Uyghur Genocide in China: What the UK and its Allies Must Do to Confront the Mass Atrocities,” The Platform, September (2020)
“The World’s Most Technologically Sophisticated Genocide Is Happening in Xinjiang,” Foreign Policy, July (2020)
“Back at Harvard Seeking Truth and Justice for My Brother,” Harvard Crimson, June (2020)
“5 Steps for Keeping Supply Chains Free of Uighur Slavery,” Law360, April (2020)
“Human-Centered Integrity Business Principles Working Paper,” The World Bank Law and Justice Series, March (2020)
“Legal Legacy, Cross-Border Friendships, and Beyond,” ATILA Blog, October (2019)
“United States Imposes Sanctions on Turkey for Military Action in Syria,” Turkish Law Blog, October (2019)
“Buyer Beware: Note to Turkish Companies Doing Business in Iran,” Turkish Law Blog, August (2019)
“Applying the Art of War on the Battlefield of Corruption: A Look at China’s Changing Anti-Bribery Framework,” International Review of Compliance and Business Ethics, June (2018)
Contributor to Hughes Hubbard’s FCPA/Anti-Bribery Annual Alerts (2017-2019)
“An overview of the Construction Market in Turkey,” Int’l Project Contracting & Labour Services (2014) *Published in Chinese language
“Culture of Arbitration, Silk Road Conference Selective Papers,” Adalet Publication (2013)
“Exclusive Jurisdiction Over Immovable Property Within Common Law Practice,” Legal Journal of Turkey, vol.11, 23-41 (2013)
“Are We There Yet, Istanbul as a Center for International Arbitration,” Marmara University Law Journal (2013)
WHAT I OFFER
For Media Interviews and Comments on atrocity pREVENTION, international Law, US Foreign Policy, Business and Human Rights, Please Fill Out the Form.
GET IN TOUCH
rayhan.asat@icloud.com
Washington, D.C.
USA 20005