Iran’s women’s soccer and ChinaBy Yeh Yu-cheng 葉昱呈The decision by five members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team to withdraw their asylum application in Australia has drawn global attention. The use of family members as leverage is a familiar tactic across authoritarian systems. In the past few years, China has repeatedly been accused of harassing and intimidating dissidents overseas. Those who openly criticize the regime face phone harassment, online smear campaigns, surveillance, and — most tellingly — pressure exerted through family members back home. This strategy of using family as leverage mirrors, almost exactly, what the Iranian player experienced.

Source: Taipei Times March 21, 2026 18:32 UTC