Khaberni - International media reports revealed that two more players from the Iranian women's football team have applied for official asylum in Australia, joining 5 other players who had earlier obtained humanitarian visas.
Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, reported that one of the players and a member of the coaching staff who participated in the Women's Asian Cup held in Australia, decided to stay after they were granted temporary protection visas allowing them to stay for a year with the possibility of applying later for permanent residence.
Thus, the number of members from the Iranian team delegation who received protection in Australia increased to seven people, while the rest of the players returned to Iran on an international flight after the tournament ended.
These developments came after growing concerns about the safety of the players should they return to Iran, especially after they faced severe criticism and accusations of "treason" in the official media following some of them refraining from singing the national anthem before one of the team's matches.
According to media reports, one of the players refused to board the plane at the last moment at Sydney Airport before deciding to seek asylum, while Australian authorities transferred the players to a secure location under the supervision of the Federal Police to ensure their safety while studying their protection requests.
The case also generated significant political and international reaction, with U.S. President Donald Trump urging the Australian government not to return the players to Tehran, emphasizing the necessity of protecting them in light of concerns about them facing penalties or harassment upon returning to their country.
The Australian government affirmed that all members of the Iranian team had the individual opportunity to apply for asylum, with guarantees of making the decision freely and without any pressure, while some players chose to return to Iran for reasons related to their families.
