Member of Iranian soccer team granted asylum in Australia changes her mind

By Hilary Whiteman, Christina Macfarlane, Ben Church, CNN

Brisbane (CNN) — One of the seven members of the Iranian soccer team granted refuge in Australia has changed her mind, forcing Australian officials to hurriedly move the other six women after she divulged their secret location to the Iranian embassy, the government in Canberra said.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told Parliament Wednesday that the woman, who took up an offer of a visa on Tuesday night, had consulted team members who had already left the country and requested to join them.

“Unfortunately, in making that decision, she’d been advised by her teammates and coach to contact the Iranian embassy and to get collected,” Burke said, without naming the woman. “I immediately gave the instruction for people to be moved.”

The players had been under guard by Australian Federal Police at a secret location in Brisbane to prevent any attempt by regime loyalists to either persuade or force them to return to Iran.

Fears have been growing for the fate of the women after they were branded traitors by state media last week, for failing to sing the national anthem before their opening match of the Asian Cup, which is being held in Australia.

Dissent is harshly punished in Iran, as demonstrated earlier this year when the regime killed thousands of protesters who dared to challenge its rule. The Iranian government blamed most of the killings on “rioters” who were part of what it describes as an organized Israeli-led plot.

“We know this regime has engaged in brutal treatment of women and girls … which why the government put so much effort into making sure that people did get given the choice (to stay),” Foreign Minister Penny Wong told CNN affiliate 9 on Wednesday.

Australia had been preparing for potential asylum claims since before the 12-team tournament, and conducted security checks to confirm who may qualify for protection. The stakes rose considerably after the team’s arrival in Australia, when the US and Israel attacked Iran, triggering a conflict that turned a large swathe of the Middle East into a war zone.

Iran has reacted angrily to Australia’s intervention, with the foreign ministry on Tuesday encouraging the women to “come home.” “Don’t worry – Iran awaits you with open arms,” a spokesperson said.

A difficult decision

Earlier Tuesday, Burke confirmed that seven women – six players and a member of the support team – had taken up Australia’s offer for permanent settlement.

He said most members of the Iranian delegation had the opportunity for a private meeting with officials – facilitated by a heavy police presence to separate them from Iranian minders. Not everyone was offered an interview.

“All the players remaining and most of the support people were taken into interview rooms without any minders present, simply themselves and the Department of Home Affairs and an interpreter, and they were given a choice,” Burke said. “In that situation, what we made sure of was there was no rushing, there was no pressure.”

The rest of the team departed Sydney Tuesday for Malaysia, arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where video posted to social media showed members of the Iranian community urging them not to return to Iran.

But Mehdi Taj, head of the Iranian Football Federation, said the players had been taken “hostage,” with a direct reference to US President Donald Trump, who inserted himself into the controversy on Monday by calling on Canberra to offer the players asylum.

“He tweeted that they should all take asylum, and that if five of them stay, then the rest stay too. Then he threatened Australia that if they don’t give them asylum, he will give them US asylum,” Taj said in a video shared by Iranian state media.

A tumultuous week

The Iranian women’s team lost all three of its group-stage matches in Australia, to exit the tournament.

Before their first match on March 2, the Lionesses stood silent during their national anthem. Sources close to the team told CNN Sports they were then forced under threats to their families to sing the national anthem ahead of their next two group games.

Members of the Iranian community in Australia had attended the Lionesses games to express their support. But on Sunday, some ramped up efforts to stop the players’ return to Iran, mobbing the team bus as it returned to the players’ hotel on the Gold Coast, Queensland state, and keeping vigil outside.

Behind closed doors, official efforts were made to speak to the women, and five confirmed that they’d take up the offer of refuge in Australia. Sports journalist Raha Pourbakhsh told CNN Sports that the families of three of those five players had been threatened.

The players were joined by two more members of the team on Tuesday, and all seven were reunited at an undisclosed location under the protection of police in Brisbane later that night, according to Burke.

It was there that one of the women changed her mind.

An observer outside the players’ hotel on Tuesday told CNN that people had tried to stop the team bus from leaving for Gold Coast Airport, for a scheduled flight to Sydney.

The person at the hotel also said that one of the players looked to be crying as what appeared to be security guards escorted the team onto the bus.

One player, her head bowed, was seen being led to the bus by a teammate by her wrist.

Burke said Australian officials helped facilitate more calls between the players and their families in Sydney, before all of them made the decision to board the flight out of the country.

Burke said he spoke with the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) before the visas were granted, to confirm that players would be able to be protected in Australia.

Of the six remaining, he said: “Processing will soon start for them to move to what’s called a resolution of status, which is a permanent visa.”

“I have no intention, after everything that these individuals have gone through, for them to have to fight through the courts for permanent status in Australia.”

Burke said no short-term visas had been granted for the tournament to any members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), hardline enforcers who impose regime orders in Iran. But being granted a temporary visa doesn’t mean “you are a great person,” he added.

“There were some people leaving Australia who I am glad they’re no longer in Australia,” he said.

CNN’s Michael Rios, Patrick Sung and Angus Watson contributed reporting.

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Correction: This story has been updated to correct the makeup of the seven Iranians granted refuge in Australia – it is six players and one member of staff.