Australia has granted asylum to six Iranian women football players and one staff member after they refused to sing Iran’s national anthem during an Asian Cup match against South Korea in Sydney earlier in March, a gesture widely interpreted as a sign of protest.
The group was part of a 26-member Iranian delegation that had arrived in Australia shortly before the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes in the region.
On Wednesday, however, Australia’s Minister of Home Affairs said that one of the players who had initially requested asylum later contacted the Iranian embassy, a decision authorities said they respect.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Iranian team and staff left Sydney for Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night, arriving in Malaysia early Wednesday in what observers described as a highly emotional departure.
After initially refusing to sing the anthem during the first match, the players later sang it in subsequent games against Australia and the Philippines.
The seven members of the delegation who applied for protection have received temporary humanitarian visas, which could eventually allow them to apply for permanent residency in Australia.
The case has drawn attention from Iranian-Australian communities, some of whom attempted to prevent the players from leaving the country, citing concerns over their safety should they return to Iran.
Source: AfricaNews
