URGENT Iranian women's football team

[ProfessorBinturong]

After refusing to sing the national anthem they have been declared 'war traitors'. If they return to Iran they will be severely punished, probably executed.

They signalled for help from their tour bus and protesters tried to prevent it leaving the stadium, but Australian security intervened to allow it through.

They're currently in a hotel waiting to be taken back home. Please sign this NOW to ask Australia to to give them.asylum. At the moment the government is insisting they apply for asylum individually, which is impossible while they are being held by their Iranian handlers.

x.com/i/status/2030781831537451013

Who holds their passports?

The ones with families back home - do they want asylum?

Are they able to communicate with the outside world?

Im wondering if they just chuck their passports and so cant fly

Or the say they want asylum when they get to immigration control and refuse to board.

Why? Because you'd like to see women's rights disappear here too?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/iranian-womens-football-escape-asylum/106434542

Five female soccer players who it was feared would face persecution when they returned to Iran have left their accommodation in the Gold Coast and plan to seek asylum in Australia, multiple sources have told the ABC.

Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi, who all play for the Iran women’s national football team, refused to sing the national anthem before their opening match with South Korea at the Women's Asian Cup earlier this month.

Fears had been growing they would be targeted by the Iranian regime upon their return, after they were labelled "traitors" on Iranian state TV.

Now, a family member of one of the athletes, who we have agreed not to name, and activists within the Iranian Australian community have told the ABC the players have evaded the team's handlers and are being protected by police in Queensland.

One of the athlete's family members told the ABC: "I want to kiss the hands of everyone who helped".

"And I appreciate your sacrifices. Five of them are leaving the team to stay. I pray to god we all go back to a free Iran soon."

I am so pleased to hear about these five women - thinking of the others.

And their families in Iran. What a horrible decision for them to have to make.

Pleased to see some can stay. How scary for them. They are so brave.

DH said that he didn't understand why they werent all asking for Asylum.
I said that imagine if it were DD and she knew how much danger she was putting the rest of us in.
Its a very hard decision for these young women and I wish all of them the best whatever they choose to do

I'm not convinced all are female. Previous Iranian women's football teams have invcluded up to eight men. Gay men are forced to transition in Iran, and the regime even forces them to have 're-assignment' surgery.

Whatever their biological sex they are in a difficult position and have my sympathy

Of course, but I don't think they are all female.

I hope this is true (30 minutes ago)

Australia grants five Iran women’s players refuge as Trump offers asylum
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/03/09/five-iran-womens-players-leave-team-take-refuge-australia/

But also hope those who return to Iran for whatever reason are safe, and their families are safe.

Haven't posted archive link as it is an older version of the article.

Trump has just updated and said the Australian PM is doing a good job and has offered the team asylum in Australia or the US. Some of the team have said they need to go back to Iran though

Yes the Mirror says its all down to Trump!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/03/09/five-iran-womens-players-leave-team-take-refuge-australia/

Updated archive link for Telegraph article. Has a rather different slant on Trump

https://archive.is/F0L35

Further updates. This time from the NSW government.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/iranian-womens-football-escape-asylum/106434542

Meanwhile, NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner, James Cockayne, called for police and government to urgently investigate potential modern slavery offences in relation to the rest of the team, claiming they are being coerced into returning to Iran.

He underlined reports which said the women were not allowed out of the hotel without chaperones and said they were denied freedom of speech and freedom of movement in Australia.

"It has been widely documented that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran uses threats and intimidation against athletes, and their families, to coerce athletes and suppress political opposition," he said.

He added: "With the Iranian women’s football team facing imminent exit from Australia, I urge immediate action."

Best of luck to them.

R4 just said the rest are on the way to a safe house?

I'd really recommend this film, about an Iranian judoka in a similar position to these brave women. Without knowing how realistic it would be to them, it really brought home to me the horror of such a dilemma and the regime. I found it eye-opening and powerful.

This is the very latest from the ABC feed.

'If you want our help, help is here': PM's call to rest of Iranian women's soccer team

By Courtney Gould

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also touched on the Iranian women's soccer team.

Five members of the team were granted humanitarian visas by the home affairs minister late last night. The offer remains open to the rest of the women.

Albanese says the government had been preparing for this "for some time".

"They're safe here and they should feel at home here," the prime minister says.

"The minister for home affairs has spoken directly with the ASIO director-general about this, and we dealt with this as well through our appropriate security forums.

"We're willing to provide assistance to other women in the team, and I think that this is a very delicate situation and it is up to them. But we say to them, if you want our help, help us here, and we will provide that."

So, humanitarian visas issued for the five so far. And different depts all working to pull this together.

I suppose the question is now for those who haven't yet left, is whether in fact they can.

Short of the police or whoever forcibly entering wherever they currently are, they may have no chance.

I was sort of encouraged by something in an earlier post about the authorities looking at trafficking law.

Well, no doubt we shall hear the news as it unfolds over night. It is featuring on the ABC live update stream so even snippets of information is getting reported.

If normal passport check rules are enforced, they should get a moment of opportunity at the passport window. I hope they ensure the officers on duty are briefed.

Hopefully, Binturong. Last I read they had not flights booked. So who knows what will happen in the coming days.

https://x.com/tony_burke/status/2031104424765174251?s=46

some images that might not get picked up by the media.

I have just seen this.

https://x.com/traceyleeholmes/status/2031118068190163143?s=46

Not sure how confirmed this is but rather chilling about an official coming to Australia to convince the others to go home and about the pressure on the families.

Three other players have disappeared and escaped from
the hotel it seems.