Contributor

Dr Yvonne Ridley

Dr Yvonne Ridley is Secretary General of the European Muslim League in Milan, political leader of the Workers Party in Scotland and a respected journalist and author. Her own podcast Yvonne Ridley is Bad Company focuses on victims of global injustices. She has agreed to work as a regular columnist for Parrhesia News. Her social media account on X is: @yvonneridley.
She made international headlines in october 2001 when she was released after being held hostage by the Taliban for 11 days. After her ordeal she shocked the world by saying she was: "treated with respect and courtesy" by her captors, adding later: "Who knew telling the truth would cause so much outrage."

7 articles

A wide elevated view across the stone terraces, ruins and columns of Persepolis in Fars Province, Iran.

WorldParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

The Definitive Traveller's Guide to Iran

Dr Yvonne Ridley’s practical and personal guide to Iran, from Tehran and the Alborz Mountains to Shiraz, Persepolis, local customs, cash logistics and places to stay.

Dr Yvonne Ridley · 23d ago

A crowd gathers outside the front gate of Sednaya Prison after the fall of the Assad government in December 2024.

WorldFeature

The Revolution Is Dead: Syria’s New Jails Have Found Their Old Purpose

Dr Yvonne Ridley argues that the death of Mohammed Hussam al-Din Ghamira after detention in al-Haffah tests whether Syria’s new authorities will break with the practices of the Assad era.

Dr Yvonne Ridley · 25d ago

A crowd of Imran Khan supporters marching through Leicester Square in London with flags and placards.

PoliticsParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

Make Way for the Young Cockroaches: The Generation That Could Set Imran Khan Free

They were dismissed, mocked and pushed aside. But across Asia a new generation is refusing to crawl away. They may be chaotic, angry and unpredictable — but they are proving one thing: power cannot crush what it cannot control, writes Dr Yvonne Ridley.

Dr Yvonne Ridley · 46d ago

A demonstrator mourning Hind Rajab at a Palestine solidarity protest in Lisbon.

WorldParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

When Earthly Courts Fail: The Divine Ledger Facing the Captors of Anne Frank and Hind Rajab

Dr Yvonne Ridley reflects on Anne Frank and Hind Rajab, the endurance of their voices, and the question of justice when those accused of destroying innocent lives evade earthly courts.

Dr Yvonne Ridley · 52d ago

PoliticsParrhesia Exclusive

The Digital Iron Curtain: How Kuwait’s Emir is Erasing and Silencing His Own People

Dr Yvonne Ridley argues that Kuwait is facing a deepening crisis of citizenship, digital censorship and democratic collapse under Emir Sheikh Meshal Ahmad al-Sabah.

Dr Yvonne Ridley · 61d ago

MONUSCO's Pakistani Female Engagement Team in Uvira and Sange, Democratic Republic of the Congo

OpinionFeature

The Red Suit Rebellion: How a Lone Fan Exposed the Modern Genocide Our Heroes Died Trying to Stop

Dr Yvonne Ridley reveals why the silent scream of a Congolese superfan connects a multi-billion-dollar sports scandal directly to the ultimate sacrifice of Pakistan’s bravest UN peacekeepers.

Dr Yvonne Ridley · 75d ago

OpinionParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

The House of Cards in Rawalpindi: Why Pakistan’s Judicial Overreach is an International Own Goal

Pakistan’s judicial overreach in Rawalpindi risks damaging the country’s institutions, international credibility and rule-of-law reputation.

Dr Yvonne Ridley · 82d ago