Iranian diaspora urge Iranian women’s soccer players to remain in Australia after 5 seek asylum

A crowd gathered at Sydney Airport on Tuesday, waving pre-Iranian Revolution flags and urging members of the Iranian women’s soccer team to stay in Australia, amid fears they would face persecution at home for refusing to sing the national anthem at an Asian Cup match. Earlier in the day, Australia granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women soccer players after they sought asylum – a day after police had helped extract the women from their Iranian government handlers. The office of Iran’s general prosecutor said the remaining members of the team were invited back to the country “with peace and confidence,” Iranian media reported. Some of the Iranian players left their hotel in the city of Gold Coast on Tuesday afternoon on a bus that was surrounded by members of the diaspora protesting against the Iranian government. It was not clear how many players arrived at the airport or where they were going.

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