Member of Iranian soccer team granted asylum in Australia changes her mind:
One of the seven members of the Iranian soccer team granted refuge in Australia has ...
cnn.com/2026/03/11/sport/australia-iran-soccer-team-asylum-intl-hnk
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Iranian Soccer Player Withdraws Asylum, Raises RisksAfter one player revealed their secret location to Iran, Australian authorities swiftly relocated the remaining six women to ensure their safety.
- Seven members of Iran’s women’s soccer team accepted asylum in Australia, but one reversed her decision and reached out to the Iranian embassy.
- Australian Federal Police promptly moved the other six to a protected site in Brisbane to prevent forced repatriation attempts.
- The players had been vilified by Iranian state media for not singing the national anthem before their first Asian Cup match.
- Australia is fast-tracking permanent visas for the remaining six, aiming to avoid prolonged legal battles over their immigration status.
"He tweeted that they should all take asylum, and that if five of them stay, then the rest stay too. Then he threatened Australia that if they don’t give them asylum, he will give them US asylum," Taj said in a video shared by Iranian state media.— Mehdi Taj, head of the Iranian Football Federation; in a video shared by Iranian state media
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Three more Iranian footballers reverse decision to stay in Australia after being granted asylum
9news.com.au/national/iranian-footballers-granted-asylum-three-more-decide-to-return-to-iran/3bbdd83b-1fe2-4eed-b545-6b24ef7b8740
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Key FactsThree Iranian Footballers Withdraw Asylum Requests
Mar 14, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: bbc.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: bbc.com
- Three additional members of Iran’s women's football team holding humanitarian visas in Australia reversed their asylum decisions.
- Human rights advocates named the returnees as Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar, and Zahra Sarbali.
- Concerns escalated after the team’s silence during Iran’s anthem at the 2026 Asian Cup opener against South Korea.
- Australian officials stated they provided safe futures but acknowledged the complex context influencing the athletes' choices.
Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation presenting them with genuine choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them,— Tony Burke, Australia's Home Affairs Minister, in a statement about the asylum decisions of the Iranian women's football delegation
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