Three more members of the Iranian women’s football team have left their asylum in Australia and decided to return home, Canberra announced on Sunday.
Seven members of the Iranian football delegation participating in the Women’s Asian Cup had sought refuge in Australia after being branded “traitors” in their country for refusing to sing the national anthem.
Only three of them will now remain in Australia, after another member of the group had doubts earlier in the week.
“Overnight, three members of the Iranian women’s football team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their return trip to Iran,” Interior Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.
“After announcing to the Australian authorities that they had made this decision, the players were given several opportunities to discuss their options,” he said.
The Australian government gave team members the opportunity to seek refuge, but the players faced “incredibly difficult decisions”, the minister said.
The football drama unfolded against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, sparked by US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran.
Rights groups have repeatedly accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening their relatives or confiscating their property if they defect or make statements against the republic.
“The Australian Government has done everything it can to ensure these women have the chance to have a secure future in Australia,” Burke said.
“Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation that offered them real choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them.”
Iranian state broadcaster IRB announced on Saturday that three members of the team – two players and a member of the technical staff – had given up their asylum request and were currently heading to Malaysia.
“Traitors”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the courage of these women, promising that they would be welcomed with open arms.
But Iran’s football governing body accused Australia of kidnapping the players and forcing them to abandon their home country against their will.
Iranian players remained silent as the national anthem played before a tournament match in Australia, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic.
An Iranian state television presenter called the players “war traitors,” fueling fears that they could face persecution, or worse, if they returned home.
Although the team sang the Iranian anthem – an ode to the country’s glory – during subsequent matches, human rights advocates warned that the damage was done.
Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, escaped from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to seek asylum in Australia.
Two other members of the team – a player and a support staff member – requested asylum before the team left Sydney on Tuesday evening.
