Soccer: Iran women’s national team in mortal danger?

Football referees and Australian authorities have been urged to ensure the safety of Iran’s women’s national football team. According to the BBC team members may be in mortal danger when they return home from Australia.

Iran participated in the Asian Championship, but the team was eliminated from the tournament at the weekend.

Fears for the team’s welfare grew after members of the squad refused to sing the country’s national anthem before their tournament opener against South Korea.

The players received heavy criticism in Iran. According to the BBC, one conservative critic declared the team “wartime traitors” and called for severe punishment.

In Iran’s last match against the Philippines, there were many signs and sheets supporting Iranian women and girls in the stands.

When a large crowd of supporters surrounded the team bus as it left the stadium on Sunday, fans chanted “save our girls”.

Former Captain of the Australian men’s team and an active human rights activist Craig Foster said there are genuine and legitimate concerns about the team’s safety.

“When any team participates [Kansainvälisen jalkapalloliiton] For a FIFA tournament in the Asian continent or elsewhere, they must have the right to security and outside support. They need to be able to share their fears about their safety now or in the future,” Foster said.

In their last two group matches against Australia and the Philippines, the team sang the national anthem and stood in a hand-to-hand stance. Many believed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard soldiers who were protecting the team at the games forced the players to do this.

The team has been supported in the tournament by Australia’s Iranian-Australian minority. Many of them booed and shouted during the Iranian national anthem, because they do not recognize the country’s current administration. Katsomossa näkyi suuri määrä Iranin lippuja ajalta ennen islamilaista vallankumousta 1980.

BBC:n according to is concerns about adverse treatment after returning home have increased support in Australia for players to seek asylum in the country. It is not known whether the players want it or not, or what the possible consequences would be for their loved ones in Iran.

“They have been held hostage by the Iranian team management in their hotel and have not been allowed to even speak to members of the local (Iranian) community. Nor have they been allowed to speak to family members or other supporters,” Foster said.

Foster said he understands if team members don’t want to apply for asylum. He considered it important that asylum be at least offered.

Iran head coach Marziyeh Jafari said after the match that he was impatiently waiting to return to his homeland.

On Monday, there was a heavy police guard around the team’s hotel. It is not known if the team has left the country yet.

Even before the US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, there has been a very uneasy situation in the country for a long time. Large anti-regime protests had been going on for weeks, killing hundreds of people, most of them protesters.