Khaled Ali (also spelled Khaled Aly; , ; born 26 February 1972) is an Egyptian lawyer and activist. He is known for his advocacy for reform of government and private sector corruption and for promoting social justice and labor rights. He is the former head of the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR), and co-founder of the Front for Defending Egyptian Protesters and the Hisham Mubarak Law Center (HMLC).
Known as a "legendary anti-corruption crusader", Ali has been involved in several prominent court cases against the government, including a 2001 ruling that gave syndicates more freedoms, a 2010 case he won that mandated a higher minimum wage for workers, and a case leading to the nationalisation of three large companies that had been privatised. He won the "Egyptian Corruption Fighter" award in 2011.
Ali was an activist before, during, and after the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. He has been involved in worker strikes before and since the downfall of Hosni Mubarak's regime, and has been an active supporter of the role of workers in the revolution and the labor mobilisation that took place during it. He has denounced violent acts by the police and military, and has represented revolutionaries and the families of those killed in court. He was against the rule of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and supported postponing the drafting of a new constitution until after the 2012 election.
A latecomer to the 2012 presidential race, Ali announced his candidacy the day after he became eligible to run, making him the youngest candidate in the election. His platform was one of social and economic justice, including core issues such as regional economic strength, protecting natural resources, fighting corruption, addressing unemployment, and improving workers' rights. Ali laid great stress on education, which he believes will lift Egypt out of poverty. Having never belonged to any political party, he called himself the "candidate of the poor" was supported primarily by students, activists, farmers, and workers, generally on the left of the political spectrum.
Ali announced he would run for the 2018 presidential race, but ultimately withdrew.
Background
Ali was born in Dakahlia Governorate to a modest rural family He enrolled at Zagazig University’s law school in 1990 and graduated in 1994. Upon graduating, he undertook an unpaid internship at a local law firm before co-founding the HMLC in 1999.
Activism under the Mubarak regime
Ali has been a prominent labor activist and lawyer. He is the former head of the ECESR, a founding member of the HMLC, a founding member of the Front to Defend Egyptian Protesters (started in 2008), and a founder of "the coordinating committee for the defense of the rights and freedoms of association." Al-Ahram Weekly called him a "legendary anti-corruption crusader". In 2011, he was given the "Egyptian Corruption Fighter" award by the Egyptians Against Corruption movement.
Legal victories
Ali's career has been highlighted by several prominent legal cases and victories, most involving corruption and the private sector. He fought corruption by the Mubarak government, which had illegally privatised public land and public sector factories. Suing government officials for selling public property, he won a judgment ordering the return of several large companies to public ownership.
A 2001 judgment in a case spearheaded by Ali saw labor syndicates gain more freedoms. His victory winning the renationalisation of large companies, sold by the former regime in corrupt deals, included retailer Omar Effendi, the Nile Cotton Weaving Company and several other factories. Ali also served on the legal team that halted the privatisation of Egypt's national health insurance and presided over the legal team advocating for transparency and protection of public insurance and pension funds.