Two more people affiliated with the Iranian women’s national soccer team have opted to remain in Australia, a day after five players were granted asylum in the country in the wake of an act of silent protest during an international tournament, Australian officials said Wednesday.
One player and one member of the team’s support staff requested asylum on Tuesday and were granted humanitarian visas overnight, said Tony Burke, Australia’s home affairs minister. The remaining team members and many of the support staff were each individually interviewed at the airport in Sydney, without any handlers or supervisors, and given the opportunity to stay, but decided not to, Mr. Burke said.
“They were given a choice,” he said. “In that situation what we made sure of was there was no rushing, there was no pressure.”
The rest of the team flew out of Australia late Tuesday. One individual was speaking with family members and apparently struggling to make a decision in the minutes before boarding the flight, but ultimately opted to board the plane, Mr. Burke said.
Concern for the team’s safety arose last week after players refused to sing Iran’s national anthem during their opening game of the Asian Cup tournament hosted by Australia.
The first five players to be granted asylum were given humanitarian visas early Tuesday to be able to remain in the country rather than return to Iran, amid widespread calls in the sporting world, the Iranian diaspora and even from President Trump urging the Australian government to ensure the women’s safety.
A commentator on Iranian state television had called the women “traitors” last week for their silence during the anthem, saying they should be severely punished. Supporters who have been in contact with the players said some of their family members had been detained or threatened.
“When those players were silent at the start of their first match in Australia, that silence was heard as a roar all around the world,” Mr. Burke said Wednesday.
The authorities in Australia said the five athletes were moved to a secure location by the federal police earlier in the week. The two individuals granted asylum on Wednesday were reunited with their teammates who are staying in Australia, Mr. Burke said.
The seven individuals were given humanitarian visas that would put them on a pathway for permanent status in the country, according to Mr. Burke. He emphasized that the choice was left up to each person with the team and that government officials did not exert any pressure, facilitating conversations with family members as they made the difficult decision.
“Possibly for the first time, these individuals were meeting a government that said, ‘The choice is up to you, and here is the opportunity if you want to take it,’” he said.
Victoria Kim is the Australia correspondent for The New York Times, based in Sydney, covering Australia, New Zealand and the broader Pacific region.
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