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More than 60,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Albanese government to grant the Iranian women\u2019s football team asylum in Australia amid fears the athletes will be jailed or killed upon returning home.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s players were labelled \u201cwartime traitors\u201d<\/a> after choosing not to sing the national anthem ahead of their Women\u2019s 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\u2019s players stood motionless as an apparent silent protest against the Islamic Republic\u2019s regime.<\/p>\n However, the Iranian footballers saluted and sang the anthem ahead of Thursday\u2019s 4-0 defeat to Australia on the Gold Coast, prompting speculation they were instructed to do so from back home.<\/p>\n Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now ><\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n 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\u2019s football team of \u201cdishonour and betrayal\u201d, declaring they \u201cmust be dealt with\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone who takes a step against the country under war conditions must be dealt with more severely,\u201d Shahbazi said, according to a social media translation.<\/p>\n \u201cLike this matter of our women\u2019s football team not singing the national anthem \u2026 these people must be dealt with more severely.<\/p>\n \u201cFor 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi has since warned that the Iranian women\u2019s footballers were under \u201csignificant pressure\u201d and face an \u201congoing threat from the Islamic Republic\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime\u2019s national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran,\u201d he tweeted on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cI call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support.\u201d<\/p>\n Kennedy double steers Tillies to win | 02:20<\/p>\n Following Sunday evening\u2019s 2-0 loss to the Philippines, which ended their Women\u2019s Asian Cup campaign, around 50 protesters surrounded the Iranian team bus as it left Gold Coast\u2019s Robina Stadium. The demonstrators chanted \u201clet them go\u201d and struck the side of the bus, leading to police intervention.<\/p>\n According to a news.com.au<\/i> report<\/a>, one of the women on the bus appeared to make the international sign of \u201chelp\u201d from the window, an apparent SOS message.<\/p>\n \u201cThey might face execution, like many, many other people in Iran who have been executed just for wanting basic him rights,\u201d Iran supporter Anahita Amini told reporters on Sunday.<\/p>\n Fellow Iranian supporter Hesam Darouei added: \u201cThese people are in trouble, are in serious danger.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really want the Australian Government to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Zahra Azadpour, an Iran\u2019s Women\u2019s League footballer that trained with the national side, was gunned down by Islamic Republic forces during protests in Karaj.<\/p>\n Speaking on the ABC<\/i>, Foreign Minister Penny Wong declared that Australia \u201cstands in solidarity\u201d with the Iranian women\u2019s football team, but stopped short of commenting on whether the Federal Government had reached out to the players or offered assistance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been really moving for Australians to see them in Australia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to get into commentary about the Iranian women\u2019s team.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThey must meet all of the conditions for the visa, and that includes a security check and a health check,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere will be no special circumstances granted.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran fans gather to support team at WAC | 02:37<\/p>\n Former Socceroos captain and human rights advocate Craig Foster declared the threat to the Iran women\u2019s football team was \u201cpretty clear\u201d as pressure mounted on the Albanese government to grant players asylum after their silent protest.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s pretty clear to everyone on the potential threat that they\u2019re facing, whether here or particularly if they do return, or when they do return to Iran,\u201d he told ABC radio, urging FIFA and the AFC to uphold their obligations to protect the safety of players.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been involved in a number of campaigns in only the last four or five years of athletes who\u2019ve faced really serious consequences for speaking out against the government or indeed peacefully protesting and being designated as an enemy of the state.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so, Iranian human rights groups have run numerous campaigns in recent years to try and save the lives of those people.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd 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.\u201d<\/p>\n According to <\/a>NCA NewsWire<\/a><\/i>, Albanese government and the Coalition are discussing options for the players, with one source familiar with discussions saying asylum was on the table.<\/p>\n Citing sensitivities of talks, opposition foreign affairs spokesman Ted O\u2019Brien would not say if the team should be granted political asylum when asked but did praise the \u201cbravery of these women\u201d and said they were in a \u201cdiabolical situation\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cFor them to undertake what really was a silent protest against a \u2026 murderous regime that you have in Iran is something I think every Australian should admire,\u201d O\u2019Brien told ABC radio.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are, of course, in contact with the government on this matter. We want people to have freedom.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to ensure that women are treated elsewhere in the world like they are in Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Four years ago, Australia provided assistance for the Afghanistan women\u2019s football team to escape the Gulf nation when the Taliban regained power in 2021.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n