Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Burke (center) poses with five Iranian female soccer players seeking asylum. (Photo/X platform @Tony_Burke)
On the 15th, Iranian women’s soccer team captain Zahra Ghanbari withdrew her asylum application and is preparing to return home. Foreign media and human rights groups have disclosed that this move may be due to pressure from the Revolutionary Guards on her mother in Iran, and currently, 5 players from the team have given up their asylum requests.
According to reports from AFP, the Iranian national women’s soccer team drew international attention when they refused to sing the national anthem prior to a match in protest against the Tehran regime. At that time, a total of 7 players sought asylum in Australia, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly praised their courage and expressed welcome.
However, the situation has recently taken a turn for the worse. The Iranian state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) confirmed that Ghanbari, who is both the captain and top scorer of the national team, has abandoned her asylum request and plans to return to Iran via Malaysia from Australia.
Days earlier, three players and one support staff member had already withdrawn their applications and were heading to Malaysia to wait for flights. In response to this phenomenon, former Iranian indoor five-a-side national player Shiva Amini and opposition media Iran International both pointed out that the Iranian Football Association is collaborating with the Revolutionary Guards to systematically pressure the families of players remaining abroad. It is reported that Ghanbari’s mother has been summoned by intelligence authorities, aiming to coerce athletes abroad into compliance.
In the face of external accusations, Iranian officials strongly deny these claims and counter-accuse the Australian government of pressuring players to stay. Australian Home Affairs Minister Burke released a statement clarifying that Australian officials had given players multiple opportunities to discuss options, but they indeed face extremely difficult choices. Meanwhile, Iranian state media such as Mehr News Agency widely praise Ghanbari and others for their decision, calling it a “patriotic act” to return to their homeland.