A fifth member of the Iranian women’s soccer team has withdrawn her claim for asylum in Australia, Australian media reported on Monday, and will be rejoining the rest of the squad in Malaysia.
The latest withdrawal leaves only two people of the original six players and one support staff member who sought asylum in Australia last week, fearing possible persecution if they returned home. Concerns over their safety came after the players failed to sing the national anthem at a women’s Asian Cup match earlier this month.
The five who withdrew their claims are expected to join the rest of the team in Kuala Lumpur, where the squad has been staying since departing from Sydney last week.
Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Matt Thistlethwaite told the government respected the decision of those who chose to return to Iran while continuing to provide support to the two members still in Australia.
“This is a very complex situation,” Thistlethwaite said.
The team is seeking to travel to another country from Malaysia as it cannot immediately return to Tehran due to the war in the Middle East, the Asian Football Confederation said on Monday.
