Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke informed parliament that two members of the Iranian women's football delegation—one player and one support staff—had initially accepted an offer to remain in the country. However, one of them changed her mind after speaking with teammates who had already departed, contacting the Iranian embassy to arrange her exit. Burke stated, "In Australia people are able to change their mind. We respect the context in which she had made that decision," but noted this alerted Iranian authorities to the location of others who chose to stay, prompting immediate relocation measures.
The incident stems from safety concerns after some team members refrained from singing Iran's national anthem before a match against South Korea last week. Five individuals—Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi—were granted humanitarian visas and moved to a secure location by police, with fast-tracked permanent residency. Burke emphasized they are "athletes who want to be safe," not political activists, following days of negotiations.
The remainder of the team left Australia on Tuesday night, two days after being eliminated from the Asian Cup. Burke detailed that a substantial police presence at Sydney Airport ensured players could speak privately with officials via translators and contact family, but none accepted the offer to stay, except one who boarded the plane late after family discussions. He added that a small number of delegation members, likely Iranian government minders, were not invited to stay, remarking, "There are some leaving Australia who I am glad are not in Australia."
The situation has sparked international attention, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praising the "brave women" and assuring their safety in Australia. Meanwhile, conservative commentators on Iranian state media accused the team of being "wartime traitors" and called for harsh punishment. Australian-Iranian community protests at the airport highlighted claims that some players signaled for help, underscoring the geopolitical tensions surrounding the case.
Source: www.bbc.com