Three more Iran football team members change minds over asylum
Three Iranian Women’s Football Team Members Opt to Return Home After Asylum Change
Three additional members of the Iranian women’s football delegation, who had initially sought asylum in Australia, have decided to return to their homeland. The trio includes Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar, Mona Hamoudi, and Zahra Sarbali, according to human rights advocates in the Iranian diaspora.
Concerns over the players’ commitment intensified after they remained silent during the national anthem in their opening Asian Cup match against South Korea on 2 March. This act led to them being labeled “war traitors” in Iran, sparking public criticism.
“Australians should be proud that our nation offered them genuine choices and allowed interaction with authorities aiming to support their journey,” Tony Burke said in a statement. “However, we can’t control the circumstances in which they made these tough decisions.”
Australia’s home affairs minister acknowledged the players’ choice, stating that the government had provided every opportunity for them to secure a safe future in the country.
The Iranian sports ministry echoed the news, first reported by Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “The national spirit and patriotism of the Iranian women’s team triumphed over the enemy’s attempts,” the statement claimed, also criticizing Australia’s government for “playing in Trump’s field.”
The three were en route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to rejoin the team, having withdrawn their asylum application in Australia. Tasnim reported that they had resisted “psychological warfare, extensive propaganda, and seductive offers.”
Of the seven who had initially requested asylum, only three have now opted to remain in Australia as defectors. One player made the same decision on Wednesday.
Hamoudi and Sarbali were part of the original five who initially refused asylum. They had given minders the slip at the team’s hotel on the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane, last Monday and were relocated to a safe house by Australian Federal Police.
Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar, a technical staff member, joined two others in seeking asylum the following day. Mohaddeseh Zolfi, the second, reversed her decision hours after being given the chance to stay, reportedly rejoining the team.
Australian authorities expressed worries that the players and their families could face consequences in Iran after their refusal to sing the national anthem. A conservative voice on Iranian state media called them “wartime traitors” and demanded severe penalties.
The team had sung the anthem in their final two matches prior to their elimination from the Asian Cup on Sunday, prompting critics to suggest they had been instructed by officials accompanying them during the tournament. The remaining players departed Australia on Tuesday night, two days after the tournament’s conclusion.
