Elnaz Rekabi, an Iranian athlete, went viral online for taking part in a climbing competition in Seoul without wearing a headscarf. Since then, she has vanished, and some sources indicate that the Iranian government may have punished her.
Who is Elnaz Rekabi?
The 33-year-old climber did not wear Iran’s mandatory headscarf when she competed in Sunday’s Asian Sport Climbing Championships in Seoul.
According to the Iranian Embassy in South Korea, Rekabi flew out of Seoul earlier on Tuesday. However, people are worried that she will get severe punishment when she goes back to her own country.
According to the Iranian citizen journalist website IranWire, Rekabi will be sent to Evin Prison as soon as she arrives in Tehran.
Over the weekend, a fire at the prison facility claimed the lives of at least eight detainees.
According to Maral Karimi, the author of a book on the Iranian Green Movement, “the authorities have also summoned her brother and detained him, which can only be understood as hostage holding”. Furthermore, she claimed that this was done to force Rekabi to return to Iran.
The Iranian Embassy in Seoul strongly denied that Rekabi and her brother would be punished. Refusing the statements, the embassy stated that its all “fake news, falsehoods, and false information,”Â
Elnaz Rekabi’s Apology on Instagram
The athlete publicly apologized in a statement on Tuesday, on her Instagram account. Elnaz Rekabi said that it was an unintentional choice not to wear a hijab throughout the tournament. Furthermore, she also stated that she would be going back to Iran as planned with her crew.
However, it’s unknown if Rekabi posted the Instagram story freely or was coerced to do so by Iranian authorities.
“There is no doubt that she will be forced to make a false confession on live television.” The Iranian athlete, Elnaz Rekabi, is “well aware of the news,” according to a statement from Maral Karimi and the International Federation of Sport Climbing.
The International Federation of Sport Climbing on Monday stated, “We were informed that she is returning to Iran, and we will continue to watch the situation as it changes upon her arrival. The safety of athletes is important to us, and we support all steps made to keep a respected member of our community safe in this situation.”
Protest Against the Government in Iran
Rekabi’s whereabouts are making the news amid widespread protests in Iran against the government’s decision that women must wear headscarves. The murder of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini on September 16, who had been detained by morality police for wearing her hijab inappropriately, started these protests.
The demonstrations are the greatest fear for the regime in a long time, and Tehran has responded by mass-arresting demonstrators. According to a study released on Tuesday by the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, there have been at least 215 fatalities during the recent protests, including 27 minors.
In response to rights breaches during the revolt, the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and other nations have imposed further sanctions against Iran. Tehran, on the other hand, views the protests as a planned effort by the West to overthrow its government.
Restrictions on Iranian women athletes
Rana Rahimpour says that other Iranian women who have competed internationally without a headscarf in the past have claimed that Iranian officials pressured them to make such public apologies. Some of them also decided not to return to Iran.
Rules Imposed Over Women in Iran
Women in the nation are expected to cover their arms and legs with loose clothes and their hair with a hijab. When they are formally representing Iran in tournaments overseas, female athletes must likewise comply with the dress code.
Rekabi’s Whereabouts and Iranian Refugees
According to news reports, Ms. Rekabi’s passport and mobile phone were confiscated on Monday.Â
Furthermore, two days prior to her scheduled departure, she checked out of her Seoul hotel. Thereafter, she claimed to be with an Iranian official. After that, she lost communication with her family and friends.
An Iranian International Chess Referee said that she had received death threats when a picture surfaced that purported to show her without a headscarf during the Women’s World Chess Championship in Shanghai, two years ago.
Shohreh Bayat said that she wore a headscarf loosely covering her hair at the time, but after being advised that she would be arrested in Iran, she stopped wearing hijab and applied for refugee status in the UK.
On Tuesday, Ms. Bayat spoke with the media and said “A list of responsibilities to fulfill was handed to me. I am aware that I would be unable to forgive myself if I just follow those things that I do not believe in and apologize for not wearing a hijab.”
