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Two additional members of the Iranian women’s national football team have requested asylum in Australia, bringing the total number of defectors from the squad to seven.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed on Wednesday that a player and a support staff member sought sanctuary shortly before the team’s scheduled departure from Sydney on Tuesday evening.
The move follows a high-profile act of defiance during a recent tournament, where the team refused to sing the national anthem.
The protest sparked immediate and severe backlash from Tehran, with state television commentators labelling the athletes as “wartime traitors.”
This rhetoric intensified fears that the team would face harsh persecution or imprisonment upon their return to Iran.
While seven members have remained in Australia to seek protection, the remainder of the travelling party arrived in Malaysia on Wednesday morning during a layover.
The Australian government has indicated it will process the protection claims based on the credible threat of retaliation that the individuals face.
This incident marks a significant escalation in the trend of Iranian athletes using international platforms to protest the Islamic Republic’s domestic policies, often at the cost of their ability to return home safely.
