Iran women's football team 'fearing death penalty' after protest at Asian Cup

The Iranian women’s football team could reportedly be at risk of facing the death penalty upon their return to Iran following their elimination from the Asian Cup, which is taking place in Australia.

Iran were knocked out of the tournament on Sunday following a 2–0 defeat against the Philippines, having earlier lost against hosts Australia as well as South Korea.

The tournament coincided with the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East after a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran, which resulted in the nation’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, being killed alongside members of his family in Tehran on 28 February.

Iran responded by firing missiles and drones at neighbouring countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Bahrain. Fighting has also broken out in Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed Shia militant group Hezbollah.

Thousands of fatalities have been reported, while tens of thousands more have been displaced in the region.

Despite sporting events being suspended in some nations since the conflict began, the Iranian women’s team still took part in the Asian Cup.

Ahead of their first match against South Korea, the team remained silent when the national anthem was played before kick-off.

The team did sing the national anthem and perform a salute as usual in the subsequent two matches against Australia and the Philippines.

However, concerns have been raised about what could happen upon their return to Iran, with Iranian state TV branding the team “traitors” for their action.

As relayed by the Express, presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi said: “In times of war, traitors must be dealt with more harshly. Anyone who takes even a single step against the country during wartime must face stronger consequences.”

Supporters reacted by urging the Australian authorities to ensure the squad’s safety before they prepare to fly home, with hundreds of fans surrounding the team’s coach following Sunday’s match in Queensland.

“They’ve been held hostage by the Iranian team management in their hotel, and they’ve been denied the opportunity to speak to external community members, friends, family or any support networks, be that lawyers or anyone else,” said Craig Foster, who previously captained the Australian men’s team and is a human rights activist.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “When any team participates in a FIFA-regulated tournament, whether Asian Football Confederation or any other confederation, they must have the right to safety and external support to express any concerns they have around their safety now or in future.”

Despite hundreds of Iranian fans turning out on Sunday, with many unfurling the Lion and Sun flag, which was the official flag of Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, players hardly interacted with them before leaving the field of play promptly.

Journalist Ali Bornaei also tagged Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, in a post which read: “The lives of the Iranian Women’s National Football Team are in imminent danger.

“After their peaceful protest in Australia, Iranian state-linked media has officially labelled them ‘wartime traitors’.

“In Iran, ‘treason’ is a capital offence punishable by death. These athletes face arbitrary detention and execution if forced to return.”

It remains unclear if the team will return to Iran amid the ongoing conflict and concerns for their safety.