Australia granted asylum to five footballers from Iran. According to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the visas were issued for humanitarian reasons.
“We have issued five humanitarian visas to members of the Iranian women’s football team. We have been preparing for this for some time. Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They are safe and should feel at home here,” Prime Minister Albanese said.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed this on social media. Sharing photos with the Iranian footballers, he wrote: “Last night I was able to tell the five women from the Iranian women’s football team that they are welcome to stay in Australia, be safe and have a home here.”
US President Donald Trump earlier said it would be a “terrible humanitarian mistake” for Australia to send Iran’s national team back to their country. He claimed they would be killed upon their return.
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“Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran where they will most likely be killed. Don’t do it Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The US will take them if you don’t…” he wrote on social media.
Who are footballers?
The five players from the Iran women’s football team are Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi. They ran away from their handlers in Australia.
Zahra Ghanbari, captain of the Iranian team and star midfielder, went viral in October 2024. She gained worldwide attention when her hijab slipped while scoring a last minute goal.
Photos of her party with her hair uncovered went viral and she was briefly banned. She apologized.
They were with Queensland police and seeking asylum in Australia, according to multiple media sources. This was confirmed by Iranian political activist Reza Pahlavi, a dissident in exile in the US.
“These five brave athletes, who are currently in a safe place, have announced that they have joined Iran’s National Lion and Sun Revolution,” he (now X) tweeted.
‘traitors’
On March 2, 5 Iranian female soccer players did not sing the national anthem before the Women’s Asian Cup match against South Korea. It was a silent protest.
However, before the next match against Australia, the players sang the Australian national anthem. Some had a hand over their heart or raised a salute.
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The very next day, Mohammad Reza Shahbazi attacked the players in the air. The tough TV host called them “traitors” and demanded that they be dealt with harshly.
“This is no longer some token protest or demonstration. In war conditions, going there and refusing to sing the national anthem is the height of shamelessness and betrayal,” Shahbazi said.
Shahbazi also warned that others should take a lesson from how these players are punished. The situation was serious because under Iranian law, charges of treason or corruption can lead to long prison sentences. It can also lead to the death penalty.
Escape
After losing 2-0 to the Philippines in their final match of the Women’s Asian Cup on March 8, the players pulled off a dramatic escape. Within 48 hours, the Australian Federal Police moved them to a safe location. At the same time, their asylum applications were approved.
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The players were closely watched. Employees connected to the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran were part of the team. The players were not allowed to move around or use their phones, according to ABC News.
The Australian authorities quietly placed a police officer in the hotel to create as many chances as possible for the players to seek help. However, the exact details of their escape remain unclear.
