Alka Pradhan is an expert on the application of human rights and humanitarian law to counterterrorism policies, and the impact of torture on fair trials. She is currently Human Rights Counsel at the Guantanamo Bay Military Commissions, representing one of the defendants in the capital case of United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (the “9/11 case”); and Associate Counsel for the Defence in the Al Hassan case before the International Criminal Court.
Alka was previously Counter-Terrorism Counsel at Reprieve US, where she represented a number of Guantanamo Bay detainees in litigation involving habeas corpus claims and conditions of detention. She also conducted advocacy and litigation on behalf of civilian victims of the targeted killing (drone) program in Yemen and Pakistan. She has also advised the US government on compliance with international legal obligations, and has worked closely with members of the UK and European Parliaments on official investigations into torture and war crimes.
Ms Pradhan was a member of the Drafting Group of Experts for the Principles on Effective Interviewing (The Méndez Principles). Her work has been profiled by the New York Times Magazine, in the documentary “The Trial,” and in several books about Guantanamo Bay.