Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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From stadium sponsorships to international partnerships, authoritarian governments are using the world’s most popular sport to distract from corruption, repression, and human rights abuses.

In the latest episode of The Dissident’s Mic, human rights lawyer Tutu Alicante examines how authoritarian and kleptocratic regimes use soccer to reshape their images, obscure their abuses, and keep the world from looking too closely.

Listen to the full episode of The Dissident’s Mic: hrf.org/podcast/the-dissident-mic

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