Mohamed Khelifi (also known as Hammadi Khlifi) is a Tunisian-American, Oman born author, lawyer, and human rights advocate. He is the author of Escape, the award-winning novel that earned him the prestigious Rambourg Foundation Award for Art and Culture in 2016, as well as the Dhawat Award and the Tunisian Writers Union Award. His writings—focused on political activism, exile, and fiction—have been published in respected media outlets such as DAWN, Ultra Sawt, and others.

Currently based in New York, Mohamed works as a human rights attorney, and has worked with several prominent human rights organizations, including the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and I Watch Organization.

Mohamed has played an active role in grassroots movements in Tunisia, such as “I Will Not Forgive” and “Free Writers,” which challenge corruption and impunity. In 2025, he was invited to speak at the MPAC Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., where he presented his paper titled “Democratic Backsliding in Tunisia: Lessons for Democracy.”

As a MacDowell Fellow, he completed the draft of his third book, Thirty, which explores themes of immigration, political resistance, and identity in exile. He has also spoken at international forums including the One Young World Summit, the Swedish Institute, and the Toronto International Festival of Authors.