Persian-language media outside Iran warned that he could be forced to leave early by Iranian authorities and face arrest back home, which Tehran quickly denied.
Persian-language media outside Iran warned that he could be forced to leave early by Iranian authorities and face arrest back home, which Tehran quickly denied.
“An Iranian female competitive climber left South Korea on October 18 after participating in an event she climbed without her country’s mandatory headscarf cover,” officials said.
Persian-language media outside Iran warned that he could be forced to leave early by Iranian authorities and face arrest back home, which Tehran quickly denied.
The decision to forgo the headscarf, or hijab, by Elnaz Rekabi, a multiple medalist in competitions, came as a protest on 16 September. custodial death of 22 year old woman has entered the fifth week. mahsa amini The morality police of the country had taken him into custody for his clothes.
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The Iranian embassy in South Korea said Elnaz Rekabi left Seoul by flight on Tuesday morning. BBC’s Persian The service, which has extensive links within Iran despite being banned from operating there, cited an unnamed “informed source” who described Iranian authorities as confiscating both Ms Recabi’s mobile phone and passport.
bbc persian It also said that she was initially scheduled to return on Wednesday, but her flight was unexpectedly postponed.
IranwireAnother website focused on the country, set up by Maziyar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian journalist who was once detained by Iran, alleged that Ms Recabi was immediately transferred to Tehran’s infamous Avin prison after her arrival in the country. will be given. Evin Prison was the site of a massive fire At least eight prisoners were killed this weekend.
The Iranian embassy in Seoul denied “all fake, false news and propaganda” regarding Ms Recabi’s departure on Tuesday in a tweet. But instead of posting a photo of her from the Seoul competition, she posted a photo of her wearing a headscarf at a previous competition in Moscow, where she also won a bronze medal.
Calls from the Iranian embassy in Seoul did not elicit a response on Tuesday. According to the Seoul-based Korea Alpine Federation, the organizer of the event, Ms Recabi did not wear a hijab during the final at the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asia Championships on Sunday.
Federation officials said Ms Recabi wore a hijab during her initial appearance at the one-week climbing event. According to the federation, Ms Recabi was a member of an 11-member delegation to Iran, which includes eight athletes and three coaches.
Federation officials said they were not initially aware that Ms Rekabi was competing without a hijab, but investigated the matter after inquiring about her. There are no rules for women athletes to wear or not wear headscarves at the event, he said. However, Iranian women competing abroad under the Iranian flag always wear the hijab.
South Korea’s Justice Ministry declined to confirm whether the Iranian athlete is still in South Korea or has left the country, citing confidentiality rules. South Korea’s foreign ministry said it had no comment on the issue.
Ms Recabi, 33, has been on the podium three times at the Asian Championships, winning one silver and two bronze medals for her efforts.