Members of the Iranian women's national team who participated in the Asian Cup are in serious danger ahead of their return home. The reason for this is the protests expressed by the players regarding the situation in their country during the competition. Specifically, before the match against South Korea, the girls refused to sing the national anthem, and in the match against Australia, they expressed their protest by giving a military salute.
Iranian state television strongly condemned these actions, calling the players "traitors to the war" and demanding strict punitive measures against them. According to local legislation, if such charges are confirmed, the female athletes could face the death penalty, which has caused great concern in the international community, particularly within the FIFPRO organization.
The Iranian national team, which lost all matches in the group stage, left the tournament early. Currently, the safety of the players and their future fate are at the center of attention of the global sports community. Human rights defenders and international organizations are closely monitoring the situation.
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