More than 60,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Albanese government to grant the Iranian women’s football team asylum in Australia amid fears the athletes will be jailed or killed upon returning home.
Iran’s players were labelled “wartime traitors” after choosing not to sing the national anthem ahead of their Women’s Asian Cup tournament opener, two days after the US and Israel had begun a war against their country. Before facing South Korea in Robina last week Monday, Iran’s players stood motionless as an apparent silent protest against the Islamic Republic’s regime.
However, the Iranian footballers saluted and sang the anthem ahead of Thursday’s 4-0 defeat to Australia on the Gold Coast, prompting speculation they were instructed to do so from back home.
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In a video shared to Twitter, Iranian state TV presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, believed to be part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accused the national women’s football team of “dishonour and betrayal”, declaring they “must be dealt with”.
“Anyone who takes a step against the country under war conditions must be dealt with more severely,” Shahbazi said, according to a social media translation.
“Like this matter of our women’s football team not singing the national anthem … these people must be dealt with more severely.
“For you to go there and not sing the national anthem; this is the pinnacle of dishonour and lack of patriotism. Both the people and the officials should treat these individuals as wartime traitors, not as if they just had a protest or performed a symbolic act. The stigma of dishonour and betrayal must remain on their foreheads, and separately they must be dealt with properly.”
Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi has since warned that the Iranian women’s footballers were under “significant pressure” and face an “ongoing threat from the Islamic Republic”.
“As a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime’s national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran,” he tweeted on Sunday.
“I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support.”
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Following Sunday evening’s 2-0 loss to the Philippines, which ended their Women’s Asian Cup campaign, around 50 protesters surrounded the Iranian team bus as it left Gold Coast’s Robina Stadium. The demonstrators chanted “let them go” and struck the side of the bus, leading to police intervention.
According to a news.com.au report, one of the women on the bus appeared to make the international sign of “help” from the window, an apparent SOS message.
“They might face execution, like many, many other people in Iran who have been executed just for wanting basic him rights,” Iran supporter Anahita Amini told reporters on Sunday.
Fellow Iranian supporter Hesam Darouei added: “These people are in trouble, are in serious danger.
“We really want the Australian Government to do something.”
Earlier this year, Zahra Azadpour, an Iran’s Women’s League footballer that trained with the national side, was gunned down by Islamic Republic forces during protests in Karaj.
Speaking on the ABC, Foreign Minister Penny Wong declared that Australia “stands in solidarity” with the Iranian women’s football team, but stopped short of commenting on whether the Federal Government had reached out to the players or offered assistance.
“It has been really moving for Australians to see them in Australia,” she said.
“We know this regime has brutally murdered many of its own people. We know this regime has brutally oppressed many Iranian women and we stand in solidarity with the men and women of Iran, particularly Iranian women and girls.
“I don’t want to get into commentary about the Iranian women’s team.”
Meanwhile, assistant foreign affairs minister Matt Thistlethwaite warned the Iranian players would not receive any special treatment if they did opt to pursue asylum in Australia.
“They must meet all of the conditions for the visa, and that includes a security check and a health check,” he said.
“There will be no special circumstances granted.”
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Former Socceroos captain and human rights advocate Craig Foster declared the threat to the Iran women’s football team was “pretty clear” as pressure mounted on the Albanese government to grant players asylum after their silent protest.
“I think it’s pretty clear to everyone on the potential threat that they’re facing, whether here or particularly if they do return, or when they do return to Iran,” he told ABC radio, urging FIFA and the AFC to uphold their obligations to protect the safety of players.
“I’ve been involved in a number of campaigns in only the last four or five years of athletes who’ve faced really serious consequences for speaking out against the government or indeed peacefully protesting and being designated as an enemy of the state.
“And so, Iranian human rights groups have run numerous campaigns in recent years to try and save the lives of those people.
“And for that reason, I think the whole Australian football community and Australia is extremely concerned about the potential threat to the lives of these players.”
According to NCA NewsWire, Albanese government and the Coalition are discussing options for the players, with one source familiar with discussions saying asylum was on the table.
Citing sensitivities of talks, opposition foreign affairs spokesman Ted O’Brien would not say if the team should be granted political asylum when asked but did praise the “bravery of these women” and said they were in a “diabolical situation”.
“For them to undertake what really was a silent protest against a … murderous regime that you have in Iran is something I think every Australian should admire,” O’Brien told ABC radio.
“We are, of course, in contact with the government on this matter. We want people to have freedom.
“We want to ensure that women are treated elsewhere in the world like they are in Australia.
“I am not aware that asylum has been requested at this point. If asylum is requested, I have confidence that the government will give it due consideration. This a diabolical situation.”
Four years ago, Australia provided assistance for the Afghanistan women’s football team to escape the Gulf nation when the Taliban regained power in 2021.