Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi could face repercussions after competing without a hijab in Seoul
An Iranian professional climber could face jail time in Iran after she competed without a hijab during the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday.
Elnaz Rekabi, 33, reportedly left Seoul on Tuesday morning and will be transported directly from the airport to Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran, upon her arrival, according to IranWire, a news outlet founded by Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari in 2014.
This report comes hours after speculation about Rekabi's whereabouts following the event. Rekabi had initially been reported as missing by the BBC, but IranWire later reported she was "tricked" into entering the Iranian embassy building in Seoul by Reza Zarei, the head of Iran's Climbing Federation, on the orders of Mohammad Khosravivafa, Iran's Olympic Committee chairman, in order to more easily bring her back to Iran.
Rekabi wrote in an Instagram story on Tuesday morning that she was indeed leaving Seoul for Iran.
Elnaz Rekabi, the Iranian climber reported missing after not wearing a hijab, has just posted an update.
“I am sorry I made you worry about me. Due to mismanagement and the unpredictable situation at last minute my clothing was not appropriate. Now I am coming back to Iran.” pic.twitter.com/Zb72n0lFK0— Jacob Whitehead (@jwhitey98) October 18, 2022
News of Rekabi's departure from Seoul to Tehran was later confirmed by the BBC, the Iranian embassy in Seoul and the International Federation of Sport Climbing. The embassy tweeted it "strongly denies all fake news, lies and false information" regarding Rekabi's situation. The IFSC also released a statement Tuesday morning acknowledging Rekabi's travel plans and also stated their support of athlete safety and the right to free speech.
"There is a lot of information in the public sphere regarding Ms Rekabi and as an organisation we have been trying to establish the facts," the IFSC wrote. "We have also been in contact with Ms Rekabi and the Iranian Climbing Federation.
"Our understanding is that she is returning to Iran, and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops on her arrival.
"It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation.
Rekabi recently won bronze in the women's combined event at the 2021 IFSC Climbing World Championships in Moscow. She's won three other medials since 2013 at various Asian Championship events.
Rekabi's decision not to wear a hijab went against Iranian law
Rekabi defied Iranian law which requires women to wear a headscarf covering at all times in public when she didn't don a hijab in Seoul. Rekabi has worn a hijab during other events, including her earlier appearances in Seoul, but said not wearing one on Sunday was "unintentional." Instead, she wore a black headband with her hair in a ponytail.
The event did not have rules requiring athletes from wearing headscarves. In a 2016 interview with Euronews, Rekabi said that wearing a hijab could be "a problem" when it gets too hot but that her team created an outfit "that respects the hijab and is compatible with practicing the sport of climbing."
IranWire later reported that Rekabi "made her decision to appear without a hijab around a month ago" but chose not to seek asylum because her husband was still in Iran.
In a historic move, Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi who represented Iran at the Asian Climbing Competitions finals in Seoul, competed without hijab, disobeying the Islamic Republic's restrictions for female athletes. pic.twitter.com/KvxE5NoQLi
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) October 16, 2022
This is only the second time an Iranian athlete openly broke the country's law regarding hijabs. Professional boxer Sadaf Khadem competed without a headscarf and also wore shorts in an international competition in France in 2019. She stayed in France following the event after Iran issued a warrant for her arrest.
Rekabi's act comes during a time where Iranian women have been protesting the headscarf law by burning hijabs and cutting their hair following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16. Amini was arrested and detained by Iran’s morality police on Sept. 13 after she reportedly wore her hijab too loosely. She died three days later in police custody.
