Sophie Claudet

Sophie Claudet is a print and television journalist specialized in international affairs. She is currently based is Paris, where she freelances for several media including France 2 geopolitical newsmagazine “Un Oeil sur la Planète”, France 24, and The Economist Intelligence Unit. She spent 10 years reporting from the Middle East for Agence France-Presse English service and Al Jazeera English in Qatar. On Twitter: @SophieinParis

Gulf | Jan 25, 2015

Why did Iran, Morocco resume relations?

Economics, Iran's desire for greater international standing, the Islamic State and Western Sahara may be factors in Iran naming an ambassador to Morocco after a nearly six-year break in ties.

A view of Djamaa Lafna square and its restaurants in Marrakesh's old city December 18, 2014. Picture taken December 18, 2014. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal (MOROCCO - Tags: SOCIETY TRAVEL) - RTR4KAMQ

Iraq | Nov 12, 2014

Why France should worry about its jihadist hopefuls

France, which has more citizens fighting with Islamic militants in Syria and Iraq than any other EU country, imposes travel restrictions on jihadist hopefuls and tries to "de-radicalize" Muslim girls seeking to join the Islamic State.

Soldiers stand by tourists as they patrol near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, May 8, 2013. President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday, May 7, that France was taking the threat from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) seriously after a purported leader of the Islamist group called for attacks on French interests throughout the world. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes (FRANCE - Tags: TRAVEL CIVIL UNREST MILITARY POLITICS) - RTXZEPE

Egypt | Nov 3, 2014

Arab women making slow strides

Tunisia has served as a regional example for Arab women in politics, but the Arab world still falls behind in global studies and much work remains to be done.

Members of the Tunisian parliament celebrate after approving the country's new constitution in the assembly building in Tunis January 26, 2014. Tunisia's national assembly approved the country's new constitution on Sunday in one of the final steps to full democracy three years after protests erupted into an uprising that toppled autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi (TUNISIA - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX17W7W

Palestine | Feb 8, 2013

A Champion of Non-violence on Palestine's Tactics

As hundreds of Palestinians jailed in Israel go on hunger strike to mark "Prisoners' Day" on April 17, Al-Monitor talks to Mustafa Barghouti, an MP, the leader of Al-Mubadara and a long-time advocate of civil resistance about the effectiveness of the non-violent movement. Are boycotts working? Will Hamas renounce the armed struggle? And is a two-state solution possible?

A Palestinian boy holds a poster with an image of Islamic Jihad member Khader Adnan during a news conference announcing his upcoming release outside Adnan's home in the West Bank village of Arabeh, near Jenin February 21, 2012. Adnan, held without trial by Israel, agreed on Tuesday to end his 66-day hunger strike after Israeli authorities promised to release him in April in a deal that avoided judicial review of the detention policy. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Egypt | Feb 8, 2013

Prominent Publisher Kassem Calls Egypt's Pres. Candidates 'Amateurish'

An interview with Egyptian journalist and analyst Hisham Kassem on Egypt’s troubled political scene. Kassem spoke to Al-Monitor's Sophie Claudet about the candidacies of former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and the two Muslim Brotherhood nominees, and about the implications of the constituent assembly's suspension.

Supporters of presidential candidate and Egypt's former vice president Omar Suleiman, cheer while carrying banners bearing images of him, as Suleiman presented recommendation documents to the Higher Presidential Elections Commission (HPEC) headquarters in Cairo April 8, 2012.The intelligence chief of Egypt's deposed leader Hosni Mubarak formally joined the race for the presidency on Sunday, a last-minute entrance that raises the heat in a contest pitting former regime figures against newly-assertive Islamis

Libya | Nov 9, 2012

Gadhafi Was a Serial Rapist, Claims French Author

Annick Cojean of Le Monde describes former Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi's use of rape in her new book, “Les Proies, Dans le Harem de Kadhafi" ("The Prey, Inside Gadhafi’s Harem"), which will be available in Arabic this month and English next year.

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi (L) is welcomed by National Assembly president Bernard Accoyer before meeting with lawmakers from France's lower house of Parliament in Paris December 11, 2007. Gaddafi is visiting France for the first time in 34 years, seeking to bolster his international standing after decades as an outcast of the West. REUTERS/Christophe Ena/Pool (FRANCE)

Iran | Oct 22, 2012

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Winner Predicts Persian Spring

Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi told Sophie Claudet in an interview that renewed protests against the Iranian government are imminent and that the opposition is working behind the scenes even if the state's crackdown has kept it off the streets. She also gave her views on Iran’s nuclear program, Iranian politics, sanctions and the Arab revolutions.

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi delivers her speech, 'The Role of Women in Promoting Peace in the Middle East', at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London February 2, 2011. Ebadi was the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY)

Originals | Oct 12, 2012

Women Should Be Full Partners In Arab Spring, US Envoy Says

Women played a central role in overthrowing dictatorships during the Arab Spring but are also prime targets of radical Islamists attempting to hijack the movement, said Melanne Verveer, US envoy for global women's issues. She spoke to Al-Monitor's Sophie Claudet on the sidelines of the Women's Forum in Deauville, France.

Melanne Verveer, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, participates in a panel discussion titled "Youth Unemployment: The Next Great Global Challenge," at the Clinton Global Initiative, in New York, September 22, 2010. REUTERS/Chip East (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS SOCIETY)

Iran | Oct 11, 2012

Iranian-American Fashion Star Draws Inspiration From Persia

Leila Yavari, an Iranian-American former model turned fashion director, spoke with Al-Monitor's Sophie Claudet about her career, which began during a Berkeley Ph.D. program; the art scene in Iran; bridging the Eastern and Western fashion worlds and drawing inspiration from her Persian roots.

Israel | Oct 9, 2012

New Film Explores Israeli, Arab Views on Sex With the ‘Other’

Inspired by a book about Golda Meir's alleged affair with an Arab banker, Yolande Zauberman and Selim Nassib asked Tel Aviv Jews a daring question: Would you have sex with an Arab? The couple reversed the question for Israeli Arabs. Sophie Claudet talks with the filmmakers about politics, mixed-race kids and the prospect of peace.