Four Iranian weightlifters who defected at Seoul’s...

Four Iranian weightlifters who defected at Seoul’s Kimpo Airport six days ago will be given asylum in Iraq.

The four--Bajand Siamak, Bahmayar Ardeshir, Montazeri Samad and Rezvani Mehdi--broke from 53 Iranian athletes shortly before the team was due to return home from the Asian Games, which ran from Sept. 20 to Oct. 5 in South Korea. The others left as scheduled. A spokesman for the Iraqi consulate did not say when the four weightlifters could leave.