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Australia Grants Citizenship to 2 Iranian Women’s Soccer Players Who Sought Asylum
The pair sought protection after a protest at the women’s Asian Cup and later trained with Brisbane Roar, the club said.
- Australian Interior Minister Tony Burke granted citizenship to former Iranian women footballers Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh at a ceremony, with both expressing they were "proud" of the status.
- Seeking protection in Australia, Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh fled after refusing to sing the national anthem during the Asian Cup in March, actions that branded them "traitors" in Iran.
- Brisbane Roar provided support throughout their asylum process, with a club spokesman saying, "To see them arrive at this point is something everyone here at Brisbane Roar is glad to have had a small part in."
- Five other teammates returned home, where Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed they "disappointed the enemies " and called them "children of the homeland."
- The status of those who returned to Iran remains unclear, though Brisbane Roar confirmed the door remains open for Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh to train with the club in Queensland.
Insights by Ground AI
34 Articles
34 Articles
Two Iranian footballers who had applied for asylum during the Asian Championships in Australia in spring have been officially naturalized.
·Germany
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Atefeh Ramezanisadeh and Fatemeh Pasandideh, the Iranian women's football players who staged a protest against the government by refusing to sing the national anthem before a match, have become Australian citizens. Fearing repression upon returning to Iran, the two players decided to stay and are now preparing to continue their careers in Brisbane Roar.
·Istanbul, Türkiye
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In their homeland, they were called "traitors" when they did not sing the national anthem, and naturalization calls them "one of the happiest days of their lives."
·Frankfurt, Germany
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources34
Leaning Left14Leaning Right7Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution52% Left
Bias Distribution
- 52% of the sources lean Left
52% Left
L 52%
C 22%
R 26%
Factuality
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