Iranian women’s soccer team flies out of Australia – but more choose to stay as claim emerges of players’ families taken hostage in their home country

The rest of the Iran women’s football team left Sydney for the Middle East but more squad members are understood to have been granted asylum.

The trouble for the women began last Monday, March 2, when they refused to sing Iran’s national anthem before a match against South Korea on the Gold Coast during the Asian Cup; Just a few days after the conflict between the United States and Iran began.

Australia offered humanitarian visas to its teammates after news of the protests reached Iran, sparking a huge backlash.

A conservative commentator in Iran described the group as ‘wartime traitors’ and called for harsh punishments, raising fears that women would face persecution if they returned home.

The five players accepted visa offers shortly after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke visited their hotel on the Gold Coast. The five women were separated from the rest of the team heading to Sydney to catch a flight out of the country on Tuesday evening.

Two more players and a supply manager have since accepted asylum and did not board the Malaysia Airlines flight, which departed at around 10.45pm on Tuesday after a long delay at the gate, the Daily Mail understands.

“The situation for these individuals is that they have to make their own decisions about their lives,” Burke told reporters Tuesday night.

‘I completely understand that Australians want to help. People were saying publicly: ‘Can’t you make sure they’re clear of this at some point?’

Mohadeseh Zolfi, in his 20s, is one of two players to accept asylum after the starting five and was not on the plane that left Australia last night.

Golnoosh Khosravi, also in his 20s, was the second player left in Australia last night. Team members who refused to sing the Iranian national anthem were offered humanitarian visas in Australia on March 2

‘What we could do was make sure they were away from anyone who had contact with Iranian officials so they could make the phone calls they wanted.

‘It could be said that it was an offer to them. If they wanted to reach us, they could do exactly that.

Burke praised the work of Internal Affairs officials who worked with the players in recent days.

‘They were in this situation facing women dealing with extraordinary challenges,’ she said.

‘I couldn’t be more proud of the officials. But as I said, the important thing was that a choice was given and that it was given in a real situation where there was no pressure.

‘I respect all of people’s comments and concerns as there have been protests about people being taken off and put on buses.

‘But what I want to say is that people going through this process had the opportunity to meet with a Home Affairs officer and there was no pressure around them to make their own decisions.

‘And whatever they decide, I respect their independence and their decisions.

Team purchasing officer Fleur Meshkin-Kar was also not on the flight.

‘If people wanted to stay and keep talking and miss their plane, they could. There was no time pressure.”

Departure numbers will likely increase as Burke is expected to provide more details on Wednesday.

The minister confirmed that some players were in contact with families back home.

‘I haven’t been here for every meeting, but I know of certain situations where people are talking to family members, talking on the phone,’ he said.

‘Sometimes there was a rush back and forth, numbers found and conversations made, trying to find the right number.

‘And people know what Australia’s position is: If you want to stay and wait, you can stay and wait, but it’s up to you. People made their own decisions and I think you have to respect that.’

Some players hugged each other, “crying” as they boarded the plane; Anti-regime protesters at Sydney Airport cheered when they heard more members of the team were seeking asylum.

Concerns also increased on Tuesday when footage emerged of a player being dragged by the hand as he was about to leave his hotel on the Gold Coast.

The players boarded a flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur and then to the Middle East

A group of Iranians living in Australia claimed that there was great pressure on women to return to Iran.

One of the team members, who was being held in a hotel in Brisbane and under the surveillance of Islamic Republic authorities, responded to a message from the group, claiming they had ‘taken all our families hostage’, The Australian newspaper reported.

This pressure was made clear when protesters gathered outside the team’s hotel in the hope of preventing their bus from reaching Gold Coast Airport.

Witnesses recalled seeing staff dragging teammates onto the bus.

Extra Australian Federal Police officers and government officials were deployed at the airport to support the women in case they decided to accept humanitarian visas at the last minute.

They were accompanied by demonstrators urging women to stay in Australia.

The crew and their staff landed in Sydney at around 8.15pm on a flight from the Gold Coast and disembarked behind all other passengers at around 8.30pm.

A waiting bus was escorted by 12 AFP officers.

Courtnee, a passenger on the team’s flight from the Gold Coast to Sydney, said the players boarded the Qantas plane first.

Protesters in Sydney call on women to accept visas

A message from one of his teammates claimed their families would not accept the visas because they were being held ‘hostage’.

Protesters and police greet women at Sydney International Airport (above)

Demonstrators gather at Sydney Airport to show support for women

Courtnee (above), a passenger on the team’s transfer flight from the Gold Coast to Sydney, told the Daily Mail the captain gave a heart-warming speech.

Dozens of supporters gathered at the entrance to Sydney International Airport on Tuesday night

He told the Daily Mail that many passengers were impressed by the ‘beautiful atmosphere’ of the flight, created in part by the captain’s touching tribute to the players.

“The captain made a really nice statement about how important it is that we pay attention to each other and the situation in the world right now,” Courtnee said through tears.

‘The mood on the plane was really good, everyone applauded the pilot and everyone was very nice and really great.’

In the first few rows of economy rows, players were ‘calming down, staying together’.

‘People said goodbye and said things. “I said, ‘I wish you luck in your life,'” Courtnee said.

A total of 14 heavily armed police officers, eight women and six men, waited with the team for their international flight.

It is understood that the first leg will be an eight-and-a-half hour journey to Kuala Lumpur.

Flight MH140 was supposed to take off at 22.15 but was postponed.

Earlier on Tuesday, protesters tried to stop the bus leaving the players’ Gold Coast hotel

A player was seen being hand-handled onto a bus by a teammate

Demonstrators showed their solidarity at Sydney Airport on Tuesday night

It is understood that players Gooloosh Khosravi and Mohadeseh Zolfi, both in their early 20s, were not on the plane and accepted the visa offer together with team purchasing manager Fleur Meshkin-Kar.

It was determined that the five players who were previously granted asylum were Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi.

Minister Burke held a press conference at Sydney Airport after the plane took off and said each player had been given alone time with a Home Affairs official, away from team caretakers, to discuss whether they wanted to remain in Australia.

‘A choice was presented and it was in a situation where there was no pressure,’ he said.

‘I respect people’s comments and concerns about the protests… but each of them had the opportunity to make up their own mind before getting on the plane and I respect their decision.’