One woman changes mind, returns to Iran
Updated ,first published
One of two women who received an emergency humanitarian visa from Iran’s football delegation last night has changed her mind and will return to Iran, Home Secretary Tony Burke told parliament.
Burke said the other six women seeking asylum in Australia were taken to another safe location after 21-year-old actor Mohaddeseh Zolfi contacted Iranian authorities on Wednesday morning and asked to be taken in.
“Today, shortly after 10 o’clock, I was informed that one of the two people who made the decision to stay last night had spoken to some teammates who had left and changed their minds,” Burke told the House of Representatives during question time.
“Unfortunately, while he was making this decision, his teammates and coach advised him to contact the Iranian embassy and collect money,” he said. “As a result, the Iranian embassy now knew where everyone was.”
Burke said he had to act quickly to ensure the safety of others.
“I immediately ordered people to move and this situation was handled immediately.”
The minister said ministry officials were confident that Zolfi was free to make his own decision.
“Every question you would want to be asked has been asked,” he said.
Burke said he respected Zolfi’s decision and that in Australia people are allowed to change their minds and travel.
It is unknown when Zolfi will leave Australia.
The minister announced at 9am on Wednesday morning that two more members of the Iranian women’s football delegation had been granted asylum, while one player remained undecided until the last minute before deciding to fly out of the country in dramatic scenes at Sydney Airport. Five other players were granted asylum on Monday night.
Burke said Home Affairs officials met privately with all players and support staff to explain their legal rights to seek protection in Australia before departing for Kuala Lumpur late on Tuesday night.
The team’s plight – denounced on Iranian television as traitors for not singing the national anthem as the battle began – made international headlines, but on Wednesday the regime’s foreign ministry said the women were safe and would be welcomed home.
Zolfi and support staff Zahra Soltan Moshkehkar remained in Brisbane on Tuesday and were reunited with five players who escaped their handlers on Monday night.
“There was no way we could see people all the way to the plane without taking them away from all the caregivers,” Burke told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
“All remaining players and most of the support staff were taken into interview rooms without any carers, just themselves, the Home Office and a translator, and were then given a choice.
“What we were sure of was that there was no rush, no pressure. It was all clearly about ensuring the dignity of these individuals; the only thing we couldn’t handle was one pressure.”
The Iranian government accused Australia of “intimidating members of the Iranian women’s football team and pressuring them to seek political asylum in Australia”, claiming that women would be welcome in Iran and need not fear punishment.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said in his post on the X channel, “I say this to the dear ladies of our country’s women’s football team: Iran is waiting for you with open arms. Don’t worry. Go home.”
“They killed 170 innocent primary school girls in a two-stage attack with Tomahawk missiles in the city of Minab, and now they are trying to take our female athletes hostage under the guise of ‘rescuing’ them. What hypocrisy and audacity is this!!”
Burke said one player boarded a flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur at the last minute because he was talking to family members in Iran for advice on what to do.
“We weren’t sure which direction this person would go. But that person ultimately made his or her own decision.” [to leave]” said Burke.
“There’s a lot of work involved, including me texting back and forth from my plane, trying to find the right numbers, and eventually getting someone to call an internal affairs number from overseas so the conversation could happen. But the people the instructor wanted to talk to were all available.”
“And from our perspective, there was no pressure to get on the plane.”
Burke said he told exhausted and upset Home Affairs officials that they had not failed just because more women were not choosing to stay in Australia.
“Australia’s aim here was not to force people to make a particular decision. We are not that kind of nation,” he said.
Burke said he was happy for some officials traveling with the delegation to return to Iran because he did not believe they had sufficient character to receive asylum in Australia.
He said anyone who tries to scare women into returning to Iran will not be welcome in the country.
“There were some people who left Australia who I’m glad they’re not in Australia anymore,” he said.
Burke said some officials had rejected visa applications before the start of the Women’s Asian Cup because of the government’s ties to the hardline regime in Tehran.
“Visas were not issued to people associated with the Revolutionary Guard,” Burke said.
The group, known as the Lionesses, touched down in Kuala Lumpur from Sydney just before 8am.
There, at the exit of the plane’s walkway, they were greeted by Iran’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi.
Maani Taghizadeh, co-founder of the Patriotic Association of Iran, said she and other members of the Iranian diaspora were ready and willing to welcome the seven women.
“We want to send a clear message to them that they are now safe in Australia and we will support them as much as we can in Brisbane and Sydney,” Taghizadeh said. “They decided to join the Sun and Lion Revolution for the liberation of Iran.”
“But we don’t know where they are,” he said. “They need to be in a safe location with the AFP and we would be very open to knowing where they are so we can contact them.”
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up for our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.
