Ala'a Shehabi

Ala'a Shehabi, sometimes referred to as Ala'a al-Shehabi (born 1980/1981), is a British-born Bahraini journalist and democracy-rights activist.

Early life and education Shehabi was raised in London by her father, political exile Saeed al-Shehabi, leader of the Bahrain Freedom Movement.

Shehabi received a PhD from Imperial College London.

Career and activism In 2009, Shehabi moved to Bahrain, where she worked as a lecturer in economics at a private Bahraini university. She founded Bahrain Watch, which advocates for press freedom in the country.

In April 2012, Shehabi was arrested during the Formula One Grand Prix in Bahrain, although she was later released.

Shehabi has published research through the RAND Corporation on healthcare in the United Kingdom. Shehabi has written for Al Jazeera and The Guardian.

Shehabi is a lecturer in Middle Eastern Politics at University College London.

Personal life Shehabi married her husband, Ghazi Farhan, a businessman, after she moved to Bahrain in 2009. Farhan was arrested by Bahraini security forces in April 2011 and sentenced to three years in prison, although he was released after ten months. Outside groups such as Human Rights Watch have speculated his arrest was due to Shehabi's political activities.

Shehabi and her husband have one son, Nasser.