A fifth member of Iran’s women’s national football team has withdrawn her asylum claim and left Australia for Iran, the latest in a series of reversals involving players who had initially sought refuge during the Women’s Asian Cup tournament.
That leaves just two Iranian women still in Australia on humanitarian visas following a flurry of activity by immigration officials after the team’s exit from the tournament.
The women were granted asylum after claiming a fear of persecution if they returned to their war-stricken homeland following the players’ refusal to sing Iran’s national anthem during the opening match against South Korea. The action sparked backlash from hardliners back home, including one state media presenter who called them “wartime traitors.”
Two players – Mona Hamoudi and Zahra Sarbali, as well as a staffer, Zahra Meshkekar – arrived in Malaysia Saturday and will head on to Tehran, Iranian state media reported, carrying a picture of the three together.
Another woman later withdrew her request. She was named by Iranian state media as team captain Zahra Ghanbari.
Speaking to CNN affiliate Sky News on Monday, Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said the women had been in contact with family and Iranian officials.
“I understand some of them did make contact with the Iranian embassy here in Australia, we can’t cut off communication obviously,” he said.
Previously, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the women were given “repeated chances to talk about their options.”
“While the Australian Government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” he added.
Last week, forward Mohadeseh Zolfi became the first to hand back her humanitarian visa, leaving Australia on Wednesday to join the departing squad in Malaysia.
Seven members of the Iranian women’s national football team – six players and a member of the squad’s support team – had been granted refugee visas to stay in Australia after the Asian Cup for fear of persecution at home.
The team arrived in Australia before the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.