Five members of the Iran women’s football team have been granted humanitarian visas by the Australian Government after American President Donald Trump called Anthony Albanese, urging the Prime Minister to provide a safe haven to the athletes.
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.
There were fears the athletes would have been jailed or killed upon returning home after Iranian state TV presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, believed to be part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accused them of “dishonour and betrayal”, declaring they “must be dealt with”.
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Trump weighed in overnight as Australian officials sought to protect five women, including the team’s captain.
“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,” Trump posted to social media on Monday.
“Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t.”
Trump weighs in on Iranian women’s team | 03:29
The Australian Federal Police has since transported five Iranian players — captain Zahra Ghanbari, Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi — to a “safe location” after the athletes escaped from their minders.
According to a news.com.au report, chaotic scenes erupted in the lobby of the Gold Coast hotel on Monday evening when minders linked to the Islamic Republic ran into the area looking for the women.
Early on Tuesday morning AEDT, Trump revealed in another social media post that he had spoken to Albanese regarding the matter.
“He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way,” Trump wrote.
“Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return.
“In any event, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation. God bless Australia!”
Speaking to reporters on the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that five players had been granted humanitarian visas at 1.30am that morning, keeping the door for other Iranian footballers to follow suit if desired.
“Last night, I was able to tell five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team that they are welcome to stay in Australia, that they are safe here, and they should feel at home here,” he said.
“Not everyone on the team will make a decision to take up the opportunity that Australia would offer them. What matters here is that they have the best agency they can over those decisions.
“So we’re making sure that the opportunity to seek assistance is there.”
Burke revealed the five women chanted “Aussie Aussie Aussie” after being granted their visas.
Albanese also spoke to reporters in Canberra on Tuesday morning, reiterating the Australian Government would provide assistance to other Iranian footballers if requested.
“This is a very delicate situation, and it is up to them,” he said.
“But we say to them, if you want our help, help is here, and we will provide that.”
Burke also revealed there was an ongoing police presence in team’s Gold Coast hotel.
Following Sunday evening’s 2-0 loss to the Philippines, which ended Iran’s Women’s Asian Cup campaign, around 50 protesters surrounded the team bus as it left Gold Coast’s Robina Stadium, with demonstrators chanting “let them go” and hitting the side of the bus.
“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.