This paper explores the role of authoritarain regional organizations – or clubs of autocrats – in diffusing autocratization beyond their core membership. While states typically align with IOs that reflect their regime type, many democratic IOs now include autocratizing regimes. These IOs often lack tools to prevent or sanction democratic erosion, or focus too narrowly on empowering executives and monitoring elections instead of promoting broader democratic norms. In the paper, I argue that a yet under-researched international dimension of autocratization is the strategic engagement of leaders with autocratic clubs through observer status. Turkey, for instance, has been a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) since 2012, learning about illiberal practices through active engagement with other fully autocratic member states. Using statistical analysis, the paper examines whether autocratizing regimes deliberately seek entry into authoritarian ROs as observers, and whether observer status correlates with further domestic autocratization. The findings contribute to the study of the international dimensions of autocratization, shedding light on the strategic use of tiered membership and observer status in advancing authoritarian rule. This research highlights the growing challenge authoritarian clubs pose to global governance and democratic resilience.