Iranian Women's Football Captain Withdraws Asylum Request in Australia

Tehran. The captain of the Iranian women's football team, Zahra Ghanbari, has withdrawn her asylum request in Australia. This news was reported by the BBC, citing Iranian state media on Sunday.  

Ghanbari is the fifth member of the team to withdraw her asylum in Australia. According to an IRNA report, Ghanbari is preparing to return to Iran from Malaysia. Australian officials have also confirmed that another member has withdrawn their asylum application, but the individual's identity has not been disclosed.  

Members of the Iranian women's football team initially sought asylum in Australia. The team members requested asylum in Australia fearing for their safety upon returning home after remaining silent during the national anthem at the opening match of the Asian Cup.  

Initially, reports indicated that five of the seven women rejected Australia's offer of a humanitarian visa. Following this withdrawal process, only two players will now remain in Australia.  

Human rights activists, however, stated that pressure exerted on the players' families played a significant role in their decisions. Shiva Amini, a former Iranian national futsal player now in exile, stated that information has been received indicating that the Iranian Football Federation, in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), placed intense and systematic pressure on the players' families.  

She wrote on the microblogging website X, "Some players had to return because the threats against their families became unbearable." Iranian media outlets have welcomed Ghanbari's decision, describing it as patriotic and a commitment to the country.  

Mehr News Agency called this a decision of national responsibility. On Saturday, three other players also withdrew their asylum requests.  Human rights activists identified them as Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar, Mona Hamoudi, and Zahra Sarbali.