Australian club Brisbane Roar said on Monday it had welcomed Iranian players Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh to train with its A-League Women squad after the two applied for asylum in Australia.
The players had been part of Iran’s women’s national team delegation competing abroad before leaving the team and seeking protection in Australia.
In a statement posted on social media, chief executive Kaz Patafta said Brisbane Roar was committed to providing a supportive environment for the players while they considered their next steps.
The crisis surrounding the team began earlier in the month when the players refused to sing the Iranian national anthem before their opening match against South Korea in AFC Women's Asian Cup.
The silent protest came shortly after the escalation of war involving Iran and the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and was quickly condemned by state media in Tehran as an act of “wartime treason.”
In the days that followed, several members of the Iranian delegation sought asylum in Australia. But according to informed sources, pressure from Iranian authorities soon intensified, with messages relayed to the players through members of the team’s own staff urging them to abandon asylum plans and return to Iran.
One member of the technical staff, Zahra Meshkinkar, who had also sought asylum, has been relaying messages from Iranian football officials to players, encouraging them to withdraw their requests and rejoin the team.
Remaining members of the squad were later moved to Kuala Lumpur, where sources say the players have been kept under tight supervision in a hotel.
Journalists and outside visitors have been barred from entering, and some players have had their mobile phones confiscated or are allowed to use them only under the supervision of officials linked to the Iranian Football Federation.
Despite the earlier asylum requests, several players have now withdrawn their applications and are en route to return to Iran, after what sources described as sustained pressure on the team and warnings that their families could face consequences if they refused to go back.
Human rights groups have warned that athletes involved in the anthem protest could face punishment upon their return.
