Iranian dissidents living abroad are facing intimidation and harassment from Iranian authorities targeting their families in Iran in an effort to crush dissent, according to CNN. Many Iranian exiles with loved ones still in Iran report similar stories of their families being used as pawns by the Islamic Republic to silence them. In a 2023 report, advocacy group Freedom House revealed Iran engages in transnational repression, including assassinations, detentions, digital intimidation, spyware, coercion by proxy and mobility controls, which have been used against Iranians in at least nine countries across Europe, the Middle East and North America.
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