More players from the Iranian women’s football team may still seek asylum in Australia after an operation that saw five of their teammates make a break for freedom last night.
The team grabbed worldwide attention last week when players refused to sing Iran’s national anthem before a game in the Asia Cup and they were branded “traitors” by the Islamic regime.
The remaining women are due to fly home amid fears about their safety when they return.
They touched down at Sydney’s domestic airport tonight and boarded a waiting bus that was expected to take them to the international terminal.
They were seen flashing their torches towards the arrivals hall where supporters were waiting along with Australian Federal Police officers.
It’s understood the team is due to head to Sri Lanka, which does not adhere to the United Nations Refugee Convention, meaning Sydney is their last resort to claim asylum.
Five of the women escaped their handlers at a Gold Coast hotel with assistance from the AFP last night.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said this morning that the women had been “moved to a safe location”, where he met with them and approved their humanitarian visas.
“During the course of yesterday, it was made clear there were five women who wanted to stay in Australia,” he said.
He extended the offer to remain in Australia to the other team members, should they wish to, but his office had no update about their status tonight.
The remaining members of the team travelled from the RACV Royal Pines Resort to Gold Coast Airport this afternoon.
Players appeared to pull one of the women towards their bus as they left the hotel, in vision filmed by the Brisbane Times.
Protesters attempted to block the bus as it left the hotel, with supporters lying down on the road and chanting “save our girls” as police attempted to move them along.
The bus eventually travelled to the airport with a police escort.
One supporter told 9News at Gold Coast Airport the player who had been pulled towards the bus was “pleading and crying”.
“She didn’t want to get on the bus, she was trying to contact her mum but there’s a digital blackout [in Iran],” she said.
An AFP spokesperson confirmed federal police had provided assistance to Home Affairs over the past 72 hours.
“The AFP has long and enduring relationships with the Iranian diaspora through the AFP’s Community Liaison Teams,” the spokesperson said.
“The AFP acknowledges the community leaders, not-for-profit groups and ordinary Australians for their assistance and advocacy in this matter.
“The AFP will not be making further comment at this stage.”
‘I cried, this is amazing, amazing news’
Although only five of the team’s players had been able to escape, it was initially hoped that more would join them, Iranian Society of Queensland vice president Hadi Karimi told 9news.com.au.
“It was amazing, mate,” Karimi said after it emerged that the five women were free.
“I cried, this is amazing, amazing news.”
The five who were granted visas were Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi.
“[They] have left the team’s training camp and successfully sought refuge in Australia,” Karimi said in a post on Instagram.
“These five courageous athletes, currently in a safe location, have announced that they have joined Iran’s national Lion and Sun Revolution.”
Karimi said a group of volunteers would remain at the hotel throughout the night, ready to help if any other of the players managed to leave.
Concerns had grown for the footballers since Sunday night when it was claimed at least one of the women made “a sign for help” as the team bus left Gold Coast Stadium after their Asian Cup campaign ended.
More than 50,000 people have signed a petition urging the Australian government to step in.
Earlier on Monday, Professional Footballers Australia boss Beau Busch said efforts to speak to Iranian players had been in vain.
“The reality at the moment is that we’re unable to get in touch with the players,” Busch told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“That’s incredibly concerning, that’s not a new thing, that’s really been since the repression really dialled up in this – sort of February, January etc.
“So we’re really concerned about the players, but our responsibility right now is to do everything within our power to try and make sure that they’re safe.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong would not comment over the weekend on the specific cases of the women seeking asylum.
“We know this regime has brutally murdered many of its own people. We know this regime has brutally oppressed many Iranian women and we stand in solidarity with the men and women of Iran and particularly Iranian women and girls,” she said.
“I don’t want to get into commentary about the Iranian women’s team.”
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