KharCenter
"KharCenter"- Khazar Research and Analysis Center
The mission of the Khazar Research and Analysis Center (KHAR) is to advance democracy, human rights, and good governance in Azerbaijan, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe. KHAR aims to achieve this by generating and disseminating evidence-based research, fostering informed dialogue, and providing actionable recommendations to policymakers, activists, and scholars to empower civil society and support democratic transitions.
KHAR envisions a future where democratic governance, respect for human rights, and social justice prevail in regions currently under authoritarian rule. By fostering informed dialogue, advocating for accountability, and strengthening the foundations of civil society, KHAR seeks to contribute to a resilient and inclusive democratic landscape across its target regions.
DIRECTOR OF THE KHAR CENTER
Elman Fattah
Elman Fattah completed his higher education at Baku Eurasian University, where he specialized in International Relations. He began his political career in the early 2000s within the Musavat Party, one of Azerbaijan’s longstanding opposition movements. Between 2014 and 2017, he served as a member of the party’s Executive Council (Divan) and held the position of Deputy Chairman.
Currently, he is a founding member of the Third Republic Platform (ResPlatforma), a political initiative that advocates democratic transformation and institutional reform in Azerbaijan.
In addition to his political engagement, Elman Fattah is also recognized as a political analyst. His primary research interests focus on contemporary forms of authoritarianism and the challenges of democratic backsliding in post-Soviet states. He is the author of the book “New Authoritarianism and Azerbaijan,” which is considered an important analytical work on the subject. The book provides an in-depth examination of how formally existing democratic institutions within Azerbaijan’s political system have gradually weakened and become functionally ineffective.
Through his articles and political analyses published across various media platforms, Fattah frequently addresses topics such as Azerbaijan–Armenia relations, the balance of power in the South Caucasus, the erosion of democratic institutions, and the broader rise of global authoritarianism.
AUTHOR
Ahad Ahadli
Political scientist.
Master of Arts in Political Science from Central European University.
AUTHOR
Amrah Jafarov
He is a political scientist and researcher based in Germany.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a Master’s degree in Political Science from Ankara Social Sciences University in Turkiye, and has completed a graduate program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution at the University of San Diego in the United States.
AUTHOR
Araz Aliyev
Researcher and analyst.
Founding member of the Third Republic Platform.
AUTHOR
Emin Aslanov
He earned his bachelor’s degree in International Law from Baku State University and his master’s degree in Law from the College of Law at Syracuse University in New York, USA. He is currently practicing as a lawyer.
AUTHOR
Ismail Djalilov
An American journalist originally from Azerbaijan.
He is the host of the YouTube channel "Let's Talk Straight".
He conducts interviews in Azerbaijani, Russian, and English with politicians, diplomats, and other newsmakers on developments in Azerbaijan and the wider Eurasian region.
AUTHOR
Maryam Gholizadeh
Maryam Gholizadeh is a university instructor and academic researcher based in Ankara, Türkiye. She holds a PhD in Area Studies from Middle East Technical University, with a dissertation focusing on emotional transitions in social movements, specifically the case of Iran’s 1979 Revolution.