A dramatic moment occurred on Tuesday, as a member of the Iranian women’s soccer team refused to board the team’s plane back to Iran at the last minute and joined several of her teammates in seeking asylum in Australia.
The players have accepted the Australian government’s offer of asylum, fearing Iran’s government will prosecute them.
According to officials, the late player’s last-minute decision not to board the plane brings the total number of players seeking asylum to seven.
“Five of the seven players have already been officially granted humanitarian visas after leaving the team’s hotel on the Gold Coast under police protection Monday,” the New York Post reports.
The Iranian women were in Australia to compete in last week’s Asia Cup women’s soccer tournament. The group made headlines when several members of the team refused to sing their country’s national anthem before a match. That action prompted at least five of the players to seek refuge in Australia for fear of retribution back home in Iran.
“Every single… member of that team was put in a situation where they were just with Home Affairs officials, where the people who might put pressure on them were nowhere near them at all, and they were given a choice,” said Tony Burke, Australia’s minister for home affairs.
“I respect their independence and agency with whatever decision they chose.”
Burke added that the players were allowed to speak with their relatives before deciding whether to seek asylum.
Read the full article here