Gerard Russell (diplomat)

{{Short description|British diplomat and author}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Gerard Russell is a former British diplomat in the Middle East, author and lobbyist.

Russell is a former British and United Nations diplomat,{{cite news|last1=Bazzi|first1=Mohamad|title='Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms,' by Gerard Russell|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/books/review/heirs-to-forgotten-kingdoms-by-gerard-russell.html|accessdate=11 January 2016|work=New York Times|date=19 December 2014}} who spent 14 years representing Britain in the Middle East.{{cite news|last1=Saldana|first1=Stephanie|title=ISIS's War on the World's Ancient Religions|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/book-review-heirs-to-forgotten-kingdoms-by-gerard-russell-1414184350|accessdate=11 January 2016|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=24 October 2014}} Russell speaks Arabic and Dari.{{cite news|last1=Sahner|first1=Christian|title=Endangered Faiths|publisher=First Things|date=January 2016}}

In January 2010 he became a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.{{cite web|title=Staff Bio|url=http://fpc.org.uk/about/staff/gerard.russell/|website=fpc.org.uk|publisher=Foreign Policy Center|accessdate=12 January 2016}} He later worked for the lobbyist Quiller Consultants where he led efforts funded by the United Arab Emirates, including successfully persuading journalists at the Daily Telegraph to write negative articles about Qatar's role in funding terrorism.{{cite news |last1=Donaghy |first1=Rori |title=UAE paid PR firm millions to brief UK journalists on Qatar, Brotherhood attacks |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-paid-pr-firm-millions-brief-uk-journalists-qatar-muslim-brotherhood-attacks-1058875159 |accessdate=11 November 2018 |work=Middle East Eye |date=18 October 2015 |language=en}}