Fears grow for Iranian footballers as campaigners try to save last-ditch Malaysia

Activists are making a last-ditch effort to bring the remaining members of the Iranian women’s soccer team back to Australia as fears grow for their safety.

The players flew from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday evening after the Australian government offered asylum to some members of the team.

Malaysia is not a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention, meaning players have few rights while in the country.

Activists say the women were taken from the airport to a hotel, where they are expected to travel to Türkiye before passing through Iran.

Seven members of the delegation were granted protection visas earlier this week after players refused to sing the Iranian national anthem before a match on the Gold Coast, a decision widely interpreted as a silent protest against the regime.

The situation became complicated on Wednesday when one of the seven women already in Australia changed her mind and contacted the Iranian embassy to ask to return to Iran.

“We want to go” to our families

When the players arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Iranian activist Raha was waiting for them.

She herself fled Iran after The Women Life Freedom movement sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Jina Amini in 2022. She now lives in Malaysia and knows what players face.

Raha, who asked that her last name not be used for her safety, said she approached the players as they walked toward the hotel.

“We spoke to one of them (who) said that… ‘No, don’t worry. It warms our hearts when we came here, but we want to go back to our families, and they told us to come back,'” she said in Farsi.

The player, who she said did not wish to be named, said Iranian officials told her he would not be injured but would instead be celebrated upon his return to Iran.

But Raha said it was a lie, and the regime has always persecuted actors who engage in acts of defiance on the world stageafter their return to Iran.

She spoke of the fate of blogger Sattar Beheshti, who died in detention in 2012 after criticizing the regime, and of wrestler Navid Afkari, executed after demonstrating against the government in 2018.

She said that when telling one of the players this, “his eyes were full of tears.”

“They were under a lot of pressure. She hugged me. She said, ‘Thank you for coming here. But we have to go hug our family,'” Raha said.

Raha said she believed the women were under duress, highlighting the moment the players made SOS signals and shined flashlights from their bus before leaving Australia as a clear call for help.

She added that regime officials were also monitoring militants on the ground in Malaysia.

“They could see the fear on their faces”

Iranian-Australian human rights activist Zara Fakhrodin said she had been in contact with some of the players and believed their phones had already been seized by officials from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“I had a few girls’ phone numbers and texted them, but no one answered,” she said.

Ms Fakhrodin believes some players were bribed to return and warned that those who initially resisted could now be punished for their association with those who stayed behind.

She said relatives remaining in Iran could face serious consequences, including seizure of their property and detention of family members.

“They are just young girls. They would have thought about their own lives, but also about their family, what if my mother was killed because of my decision,” she said.

Brisbane-based activist Hadi Karimi said a contact in Malaysia reported the athletes were surrounded by figures believed to be linked to the IRGC and were visibly frightened.

“They could see the fear on their faces,” he said.

Sydney-based activist Haleh Nazari said players returning to Iran faced real danger, with the Islamic Republic “constantly threatening people in Iran and Iranians abroad”.

“Even before this, there was no trust in the Iranian government, and now that is certainly not the case, especially since we are in war conditions,” she said.

Mohammad Aboutalebi, a Malaysia-based Iranian who is working alongside Raha and others to prevent the players from returning, called on international organizations to intervene.

“What we can do is help international organizations to be able to go and talk to these kids (players),” he said.

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Police investigate team leader

Meanwhile, Queensland Police have launched an investigation into an official traveling with the team believed to be linked to the Iranian regime, after a woman reported being threatened on the Gold Coast.

Mohammad Salari would be the government-appointed official who would supervise the players at the Women’s Asian Cup.

Police said an alleged threat was made by Mr Salari towards a woman, who reported the incident directly to Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, who then passed the complaint to police.

Home Secretary Tony Burke said earlier this week that protection visas were not being offered to all members of the delegation.

Iran withdraws from FIFA World Cup

The crisis comes after Iran’s sports minister announced that his country would not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, due to the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.

Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said the country’s players were “not safe” in the United States “because of the despicable acts they committed against Iran.”

“They imposed two wars on us in just eight or nine months and killed and martyred thousands of our citizens,” Mr. Donyamali said.

Iran were among the first nations to qualify for the tournament, with group stage matches scheduled in Los Angeles and Seattle.

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