Five members of the Iranian women’s football team have reportedly been placed under police protection in Australia after refusing to return to their home country following the team’s elimination from the Women’s Asian Cup.
Speculation had been mounting for days that some of the players would attempt to seek asylum in Australia after reports they had been called “traitors” for refusing to sing their national anthem before the tournament’s opening match last week.
There was a tense standoff at the team’s Gold Coast hotel in Queensland on Monday, where anti-Iranian regime protesters gathered as players prepared to board a bus to take them to the airport for their flight back to Iran.
On Monday night it was reported that five of the players had escaped their regime guards and were being protected by Australian federal police.
Citing sources in the Australian-Iranian community, Nine newspapers reported that the women were “receiving support” from police. “The police have taken them to safety,” Hadi Karimi, a Brisbane-based human rights activist, told Nine. “It’s great, it’s amazing.”
According to news.com, there were “chaotic scenes” at the Royal Pines hotel as caretakers ran into the lobby looking for the women.
The news.com report said the Department of Home Affairs had begun processing the women’s asylum claims after “secret conversations” with the players, when their 2-0 loss to the Philippines in Robina on Sunday night meant they were knocked out of the tournament.
It was also reported that Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke flew to Queensland on Monday to speak to the players and would make a statement on Tuesday.
The Department of the Interior was contacted for comment.
New South Wales Anti-Slavery Commissioner James Cockayne wrote to Australian Federal Police Chief Krissy Barrett on Monday night referring the players’ case for immediate investigation as suspected “outbound trafficking”.
The referral letter says “the attempted coercion of the Iranian women’s football team to leave Australia could be an offense under Australian law” and urges Barrett to investigate and “prevent the suspects from leaving Australia”.
Protesters briefly blocked the team bus leaving the stadium on Sunday, waving the international sign calling for help from the players: a closed fist with the thumb under the four fingers and then opened again.
It seemed like some of the players tried to return the gesture.
A FIFA spokesperson said: “The safety of the Iran women’s national team is FIFA’s priority and we therefore remain in close contact with… the relevant Australian authorities, including Football Australia, regarding the team’s situation.”
