Iranian soccer players under Australian Federal Police watch

"Once that happened ... it was made clear that there were five women who wanted to be able to stay in Australia. They were moved to a safe location by the Australian Federal Police, and last night, I met with them at that location. I signed off last night for their applications to go onto humanitarian visas, and a little bit after 1:30 a.m. this morning, the processing was completed by the department of home affairs."

"Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don't return."

"Advocates had been imploring Australian officials to meet with the team to secure their safety after the squad were seen making what appeared to be an SOS hand signal on Sunday night after their final Asian Cup match."

Five members of Iran's women's soccer team escaped from their handlers at a Brisbane hotel and were granted Australian humanitarian visas to avoid persecution. The women had refused to sing the Iranian national anthem during a Women's Asian Cup game. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the asylum grants and stated the women were moved to a safe location by Australian Federal Police. The situation prompted intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump, who called Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss the matter. While five players secured visas, some remaining team members expressed concerns about returning due to threats against their families.

Read at ESPN.com