Five Iran women footballers take asylum in Australia

GOLD COAST: Five players from Iran’s visiting women’s football team claimed asylum in Australia on Tuesday, seeking protection after they were branded “traitors” at home for refusing to sing the national anthem.

Iranian players fell silent as the anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia last week, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against their country.

US President Donald Trump was among those urging Australia to offer the players asylum, citing grave fears for their safety if they were forced to board a plane home.

Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim sanctuary from Australian officials.

“We’ve been preparing for this for some time,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They’re safe here, and they should feel at home here.”

Albanese thanked Australian media for their “restraint”, hinting that news of the asylum bid had been held back until they were safe.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government had spent days in secret talks with the players, who were whisked to a safe house after leaving their hotel on the Gold Coast.

Pictures showed the players huddled around a table as Burke signed paperwork granting them special visas to stay in Australia on humanitarian grounds.

The players broke out into chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie”, Burke said, adding that the rest of the team would also be welcome to stay in the country if they wished.

It was not clear if the remaining players in the Iranian squad would fly home — or when they might leave Australia.

US President Trump was among the first to confirm five players were safely in the care of Australian officials, following a late-night call with Prime Minister Albanese.

He had hours earlier urged Australia to do the right thing, saying it would be a “terrible humanitarian mistake” if the players were forced back to Iran.

A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players “wartime traitors” after they stood motionless during the anthem before a match against South Korea last week.

Although they sang the anthem — an ode to the glory of the Islamic Republic — in later matches, human rights activists warned the damage was done. Monitoring Desk