"Seven members of the delegation had sought sanctuary in Australia last week after being branded traitors back home for refusing to sing the national anthem at their opening game at the Women's Asian Cup. But five of them later changed their minds, leaving only two in Australia."
"In a post on X, the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the players and their support team were children of the homeland, and the people of Iran embrace them. He said by returning, they had disappointed the enemies [of Iran] and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements."
"Rights groups have accused Tehran of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening relatives with the seizure of property if they defect or make statements against Iran. Iranian authorities had, in turn, accused Australia of pressuring the players to stay."
The Iranian women's national football team completed their journey home from Australia following the Asian Cup competition. The squad traveled through Oman and Malaysia before arriving in eastern Turkey and crossing into Iran at the Gurbulak-Bazargan border. Seven players had initially sought asylum in Australia after refusing to sing the national anthem at their opening match, citing concerns about conditions at home. However, five of these players reversed their asylum bids and returned with the team. The Iranian parliament speaker praised their return as a patriotic act that disappointed Iran's enemies. Human rights organizations have documented Tehran's history of pressuring athletes abroad through threats against relatives and property seizure.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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