SYDNEY/KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Reuters) – A fifth member of the Iranian women’s soccer team has withdrawn her claim for asylum in Australia, Australian media reported on Monday, and will be rejoining the rest of the squad in Malaysia.
The latest withdrawal leaves only two people of the original six players and one support staff member who sought asylum in Australia last week fearing possible persecution if they returned home. Concerns over their safety came after the players failed to sing the national anthem at a women’s Asian Cup match earlier this month.
The five who withdrew their claims are expected to join the rest of the team in Kuala Lumpur where the squad has been staying since departing from Sydney last week.
Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Matt Thistlethwaite told Sky News the government respected the decision of those who chose to return to Iran while continuing to provide support to the two members still in Australia.
“This is a very complex situation,” Thistlethwaite said.
The team is seeking to travel to another country from Malaysia as it cannot immediately return to Tehran due to the war in the Middle East, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Monday.
TEAM WAITING FOR FLIGHT CONNECTIONS
The Iranian Football Association said the team was expected to leave Malaysia for Tehran soon “to once again be embraced by their families and homeland.”
AFC’s General Secretary Windsor John however told reporters in Kuala Lumpur the team would seek alternative destinations as they are unable to return to Iran immediately.
“They are just waiting for the flight connections. When they are going… where to, they have to tell us,” he said.
He said he was unable to verify reports that the players’ families had come under pressure from authorities in Iran, adding that the players had not expressed any concerns over their safety.
“We have spoken to the team officials. We have spoken to the coaches, the head of delegation. They are actually in high spirits,” he said.
“I personally met them. They are not de-motivated, or they didn’t look afraid.”
The Iranian team’s campaign in the Asian Cup started just as the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated from the tournament a week ago.
U.S. President Donald Trump had praised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for allowing the women to stay, saying on social media the United States was ready to take the players if Australia did not.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney and Hasnoor Hussain in Kuala Lumpur; Writing by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Will Dunham and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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