Iranian footballers escape guards and gain asylum in Australia

As the Iranian women’s team ran off the pitch at the Gold Coast’s Robina Stadium on Sunday evening, Australian officials were waiting for them.

Their goal was to signal in the strongest possible terms that if any of the young women wanted to talk, there were people willing to help.

Establishing contact with the players was the first of many hurdles that had to be overcome for Australia to stage the events that followed over the next 24 hours.

Discussions with players began in earnest early yesterday when it became clear that five members of the team were seeking asylum.

When the women escaped their guards last night, Australian Federal Police and Queensland Police were there to escort them.

Home Secretary Tony Burke met the group at around 9pm to sign their temporary humanitarian visa applications, ending a distressing period for the athletes, who have been in the spotlight since their arrival. called ‘traitors’ on Iranian state television For not singing the national anthem before a match.

At 1:30 a.m. today, the paperwork was processed. In the early morning, in a secure location in Brisbane, the five footballers began spontaneously shouting: “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!” as they watched Mr. Burke sign the documents.

The government has so far remained tight-lipped about its attempt to offer asylum to the athletes, although US President Donald Trump criticized Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on social media for failing to protect them.

But Mr Burke said the Government’s silence was part of a delicate operation to allow players to safely express their desire to remain in Australia.

“These women are great athletes, great people, and they are going to feel very much at home in Australia,” he said.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the Coalition supported the decision, crediting the women for showing “tremendous courage”.

“Any reasonable Australian would want a good outcome for their safety and for their future,” he said.

How did we get here?

Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi, players of the Iranian women’s national football team. were among a group of players who did not sing the national anthem before their opening match against South Korea in the Women’s Asian Cup on March 2.

But a few days later, before their match against Australia, the players sang the anthem with their hands raised in salute or over their hearts.

The next day, footage was released showing radical conservative TV presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi heckling players and calling for “traitors” to be treated “harsher” in wartime.

“This is no longer a protest or a symbolic demonstration. In war conditions, going there and refusing to sing the national anthem is the height of immodesty and betrayal,” he said.

“The shame of this brazen betrayal must rest on their shoulders, and they must be treated appropriately so that others will take it as a warning.”

According to the Islamic Republic’s penal code, corruption or treason can result in long prison terms or the death penalty.

The same week, members of the team appeared to give the SOS signal to protesters gathered outside the Gold Coast hotel where the team was staying.

On Sunday evening, the Iranian team, known as the Lionesses, played their final Women’s Asian Cup match, losing 2-0 to the Philippines.

Within 48 hours, Australian Federal Police would move five of them out of the hotel to a safe location to have their asylum cases approved.

How the players came out

We don’t know much about how the Iranian players communicated with the government or how they escaped from their hotel.

Staff members suspected of being linked to the regime are being integrated into the team and the CBA understands that players are not allowed to move freely.

Some also suggest that communications are monitored.

During Question Time in Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Burke said one of the challenges for the Government was that “it wasn’t just the Australian people who were listening”.

He said a police officer went to the team hotel and worked to create “as many opportunities as possible” for players to seek help.

The Prime Minister said the players took time to consider seeking asylum after contacting Australian authorities.

“We wanted to make it clear to athletes that support was available,” he said.

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“They then had to think about this and do it in a way that posed no danger to them or to their families or friends back home in Iran.”

Mr Burke said a conversation “started in earnest” yesterday morning with the players who had decided to seek asylum.

“They were moved to a secure location by the Australian Federal Police, and last night I met them there,” he said.

Mr Burke called the head of ASIO, Australia’s intelligence agency, to confirm all asylum seekers had the necessary security clearance before meeting them.

Mr Albanese said the Government had been preparing “for some time” for this moment.

“Australians have been touched by the plight of these brave women. They are safe here and should feel at home here,” he said.

Trump’s call to Albanese

The US president earlier lashed out at the prime minister, suggesting in an article on Truth Social that the women were being forced to leave Australia at a time when they could face punishment in Iran.

Mr Albanese confirmed he spoke to Mr Trump just before 2am today and told him of the government’s action, which at that stage had confirmed asylum to all five players.

Speaking again to Truth Social, Mr Trump said he had spoken to Mr Albanese and was confident he was “on to it!”

The government was keen to highlight the timing of the call, which took place after the players were granted temporary humanitarian visas at 1:30 a.m.

“The views that the president expressed on this, I think, reflected what all good people think about this. I think people were looking at this situation and saying, ‘Surely we can do something?'” Mr. Burke said.

“Of course, we were in a situation where we couldn’t talk publicly about what we were doing.”

What happens to the rest of the team?

The government said the door remained open to other members of the Iranian team who would like to seek asylum.

On Tuesday afternoon, a bus carrying an unknown number of Iranian players left the hotel under heavy police escort and went to the airport.

The Home Secretary acknowledged it was an “incredibly difficult decision” for women, but said it was important the Government gave them the freedom to choose.

“While the offer is still there for other members of the team, it is entirely possible and even likely that not all women in the team will take up the opportunity that Australia would offer them,” he said.

Iranian Australians who spoke to the ABC said it was important to understand that players may not want to seek asylum, due to reported pressures on their families if they did not return.

Mr Burke said players who had been granted asylum were comfortable sharing their stories, but stressed they were not activists.

Temporary humanitarian visas are valid for 12 months and pave the way to permanent residence.

These types of visas have already been granted to Ukrainians, Palestinians and Afghans.

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