Two Iranian women's national team players who sought asylum in Australia have publicly confirmed that their refusal to sing the national anthem during the Women's Asian Cup in March was a deliberate act of defiance against the government in Tehran.
Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, 34, and Fatemeh Pasandideh, 22, broke their silence in an interview with Australia's Nine Network current affairs program "60 Minutes," their first public comments since leaving their team to remain in Australia as refugees. Speaking through an interpreter, Ramezanisadeh explained the motivation behind the gesture: "We just wanted to stand with our people. I was scared at times, but I just tried to do what was right and say that no one should be killed just for protesting."
The silent protest occurred ahead of Iran's opening match against South Korea on March 2, a game the team went on to lose. At the time, the players offered no explanation for their refusal to sing, leaving observers to speculate about the reasons. Some interpreted the gesture as an act of resistance, while others saw it as mourning following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that had begun just days earlier, on February 28. Iranian state media condemned the players as traitors for their silence.
The episode sparked demonstrations calling for the players to be granted asylum before the squad departed Sydney on March 10. Ramezanisadeh described the personal risk involved in her decision, saying her silence "could have meant any form of torture" for her. "But at that moment, the only thing that gave me peace and a clear conscience was not singing it. I wanted to sing the anthem with pride and from my heart. But because of the situation in Iran, I really couldn't do it," she said.
Pasandideh echoed the sentiment, framing the protest as a tribute to those who had died in Iran's crackdown on demonstrators. "My people put their lives on the line and they were killed. Doing that was the absolute least we could do for them," she said.
Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke confirmed that the players had received no assurances about asylum before their protest, underscoring that their actions were not motivated by any prior offer from Canberra. "At that point, they had absolutely no information from us about the possibility of being able to stay," Burke said, describing the moment as one of profound significance. "The silence of itself was deeply significant. The reaction was the volcanic moment."
The situation drew international attention after US President Donald Trump called for the squad to be granted protection and later spoke directly with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the matter. Albanese subsequently informed Trump that four players and a team manager had accepted humanitarian visas. Although seven squad members initially indicated they would seek asylum, all but Ramezanisadeh and Pasandideh eventually withdrew their applications and returned to Iran.
The two women have since settled in Brisbane, where they now play for the semi-professional club Wynnum Wolves, and were granted Australian citizenship in August. Ramezanisadeh revealed that her parents, following instructions from Iranian officials, had pressed her to return home. "They tried to reassure me, saying: 'Nothing will happen to you. This is your home. You must return home.' But I told them my mind was made up and I was not coming back," she said, adding that the thought of never seeing her family again was devastating but that she could not remain indifferent to the killing of young people by the regime.
Both women said they have had no recent contact with relatives in Iran, though they believe their families have not faced retaliation. Pasandideh said she deliberately avoided discussing with former teammates whether their decision to return to Iran was made freely, in order to protect them from potential danger. She expressed hope of one day returning to Iran herself, but only once conditions in the country have changed. "One of my biggest dreams is to be able to go back to Iran, but in different circumstances when the situation in Iran has changed and the people of Iran are happy and thriving. Then I will go back and see my family," she said.
Based on reporting from The Independent.