Human Rights Activist Andy Hall’s Qatar Conviction Quashed

Justice Abroad is pleased to announce that the conviction of British human rights activist Andy Hall, for criminal defamation has been quashed by the Doha Criminal Court. Mr Hall, who works around the world combatting modern slavery, had been convicted in absentia in Qatar in 2022 and only found out about the conviction when he was detained at Doha Airport on 1 July 2025 and informed that he had been convicted and sentenced to a 1-month term of imprisonment and a fine despite never being informed of the case.

The case was handled by UK barrister and Director of Justice Abroad, Michael Polak, who represented Mr Hall, alongside Qatari lawyer Zain Al Idrissi. The legal team welcomed the Court’s decision, which overturns the conviction with immediate effect and finalises the criminal case with an acquittal. This will allow Mr Hall to continue travelling for his important work without fear of arrest.

Mr Hall’s conviction was based on false allegations that he had made defamatory statements about human rights violations by a Qatari company, after he forwarded two email complaints to government bodies, who were charged with receiving slavery complaints, just days before the 2022 FIFA World Cup commenced in Doha.

Michael Polak stated:

“The case against Mr Hall involved criminal defamation, an offence which has been removed in many countries. This offence has the potential to have a chilling effect on proper discussion and the provision of information. In Mr Hall’s case, he solely forwarded a complaint of modern slavery to the bodies which had been set up to and had even invited such complaints to be provided to them.

This case really encapsulates the danger of criminal defamation. The original trial against Mr Hall happened in his absence as he was never served with any notice of the hearing, and he was therefore unable to defend himself. We are very pleased that the Doha Court today allowed the appeal and expunged his prison sentence and fine which will allow Mr Hall to continue in his valuable work against modern slavery around the world.”


Notes for the Press

Michael Polak

Michael Polak is an international barrister based in London. He practises in international, criminal, and human rights law from Church Court Chambers.  Michael is also a Director of Justice Abroad which helps people who need assistance dealing with legal proceedings overseas as well as working on human rights advocacy for groups and individuals. He is chair of the group Lawyers for Uyghur Rights and was awarded the International Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for 2021.

Michael Polak