At least five Iran women footballers take asylum in Australia

At least five players from Iran's visiting women's football team claimed asylum in Australia on Tuesday, seeking protection after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem.

Iranian players fell silent as the anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia last week, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic.

US President Donald Trump was among those urging Australia to offer the players asylum, citing grave fears for their safety if they were forced to board a plane home.

Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim sanctuary from Australian officials, the government announced.

At least two more team members applied later in the day to stay in Australia, according to local media.

"We've been preparing for this for some time," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

"Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They're safe here and they should feel at home here."

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government had spent days in secret talks with the players, who were whisked to a safe house after leaving their hotel on the Gold Coast.

Pictures showed the players huddled around a table as Burke signed paperwork granting them special visas to stay in Australia on humanitarian grounds.

The players broke out into chants of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie", Burke said, adding that the rest of the team would also be welcome to stay in the country if they wished.

Australian public broadcaster ABC quoted Burke as saying that more Iranian team members had since asked to stay, in addition to the initial five players.

The ABC said it understood at least seven team members had now sought asylum in Australia.

The Department of Home Affairs did not respond to requests for information on the report.

Other members of the Iran team left Australia on a flight from Sydney Airport, and arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, early Wednesday, an AFP photographer saw.

Supporters had gathered at Sydney Airport to greet the players after their arrival from the Gold Coast a few hours earlier, but they were unable to approach the team, local media said.

- 'Wartime traitors' -

The head of the Iranian Football Federation on Tuesday claimed the players had been coerced into defecting. He also cast doubt on Iran's participation in this summer's men's football World Cup being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Mehdi Taj said the five women players had been kidnapped and the team had been obstructed as it tried to leave Australia.

"After the game, unfortunately, the Australian police came and intervened, removing one or two of the players from the hotel, according to the news we have," he said on Iranian state television.

A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players "wartime traitors" after they stood motionless during the anthem before a match against South Korea last week.

Although they sang the anthem -- an ode to the glory of the Islamic republic -- in later matches, human rights activists warned the damage was done.

"The members of the Iranian Women's National Football Team are under significant pressure and ongoing threat from the Islamic Republic," said Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran.

"I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support," he said on social media.

Pahlavi has billed himself as the person to lead a democratic transition to a secular Iran as the theocratic regime fights to survive.

Politicians, human rights activists and even "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling had called for Australia to offer the side protection.

Crowds gathered outside the Gold Coast stadium where the side played their last match over the weekend, banging drums and shouting "regime change for Iran".

Supporters surrounded the Iranian team bus, chanting "let them go" and "save our girls". On Monday, an AFP journalist saw members of the team speaking on phones from their hotel room balconies.