Three more Iran football team members change minds over asylum

Four of seven members of the women's football delegation who originally sought to stay in Australia have now chosen to return home.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveThree more Iran football team members change minds over asylum18 hours agoShareSaveRobert GreenallandSimon Atkinson,SydneyShareSaveEPAOne of the three has been named as Mona Hamoudi, pictured here during a match against the Philippines on 8 MarchThree more members of the Iranian women's football delegation - who were given humanitarian visas to stay in Australia - have changed their mind and will return home.

The trio have been named by human rights activists in the Iranian diaspora as Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar, Mona Hamoudi, and Zahra Sarbali.

Concerns grew for the Iranian team after they were silent for the country's anthem in their opening Asian Cup match against South Korea on 2 March - which led to them being branded "war traitors" in Iran.

Confirming the decisions, Australia's home affairs minister said his government had done everything it could to ensure the women were given the chance to have a safe future in the country.

"Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation presenting them with genuine choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them," Tony Burke said in a statement.