Access Now

Europe Policy and Advocacy Director based in Brussels; Obama Foundation Europe Leader; Marshall Memorial Fellow; POLITICO Tech 28 Class of 2022; serves on Council of Europe Committee of Experts on Freedom of Expression and Digital Technologies.

Became Co-Executive Director in January 2026; previously Board Co-Chair; Azerbaijani journalist and human rights advocate; co-founded Azerbaijan Internet Watch and Free Voices Collective.

Co-founded Access Now in July 2009.

Europe Legislative Manager and Global Data Protection Lead; focuses on data protection, privacy, surveillance, and telecommunications policies; member of European Commission's Multistakeholder Expert Group supporting GDPR.

Co-founded Access Now in July 2009; served as CTO; volunteer with The Tor Project dedicated to helping activists avoid government censorship.

Co-founded Access Now in July 2009 after the contested Iranian presidential election; served as Executive Director for 15 years (2009–July 2024); also served as Board Member and Board Secretary; founded RightsCon Summit.

Chief Operating Officer; served as interim Executive Director from July 19 to October 1, 2024 following Brett Solomon's departure.

Chief Security Officer; previously Global Security Manager at Transparency International; over a decade of experience in safety and security management in NGO and humanitarian sectors.

Co-founded Access Now in July 2009; Iranian-American; PhD from UCLA on geopolitics of internet censorship; later Head of Human Rights at Wikimedia Foundation and Assistant Professor of Public Policy.