Ali Johar is an award-winning prominent Rohingya refugee human rights defender and Statelessness activist. Ali co-founded the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, a community-based support and campaign organisation, and the Rohingya Literacy Program (RLP) to help Rohingya children access formal education in India. With more than a decade of experience in the human rights and humanitarian sector, from 2023 he served as a member of the Interim Core Group (ICG) of the Global Movement Against Statelessness and currently serves the movement as a Co-lead.

Working with UN’s partners and Human Rights bodies, as a refugee activist, Ali has played a crucial role in leading diverse projects in India across education, health, women’s issues, youth, monitoring trafficking victims, research, COVID-19 and detention cases.

Ali has appeared in numerous national and international media interviews, published articles, blogs, human rights reports, and book chapters on the issues faced by refugees and stateless people.

He was awarded multiple national and international awards, including the 2024 McCall-Pierpaoli Award, and International Fellowships by Social Change Initiative, Refugees International, and Institute Statelessness and Inclusion.