Updated on 10/19/2022 at 11:35 am
- The Iranian climber Elnas Rekabi competed in a competition in South Korea without a headscarf.
- Many observers interpreted this gesture as an act of solidarity with the threatened women in Iran. After the competition, Ekabi briefly disappeared
- Now she’s back home and made a dubious excuse for her behavior.
Iranian climber Elnas Rekabi has returned to her homeland after suddenly disappearing at the Asian Championships in Seoul.
As reported by the Iranian news agency Tasnim, which acts as the mouthpiece of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the 33-year-old arrived in the capital Tehran on Wednesday morning.
Rejoicing at Rekabi’s return – human rights activists fear repression by the authorities
On her return, Rekabi was greeted with rapturous cheers. The athlete issued a statement of regret at the Tehran airport over the procedures in Seoul, much the same as her Instagram post the day before about an “accidental oversight” in not wearing the hijab. “Concerns about their safety remain,” Iran’s Center for Human Rights told CHRI.
According to the AFP news agency, it was initially unclear whether Rekabi was under pressure from the authorities when she said she was wearing a black hoodie and a baseball cap. Observers should not be “swayed by state propaganda,” wrote the CHRI.
Apparently, after her TV statement, the climber, who was greeted by family members, left the airport in a small motorcade consisting of a black van and another vehicle. In the crowd at the airport, who kept chanting “Elnaz is a heroine,” there were also numerous women without the required headgear.
Rekabi’s statement: “Tangled with technical equipment”
“Because of the atmosphere that prevailed in the final of the competition and the unexpected request to start my run, I got tangled up with my technical equipment and this caused me not to notice the hijab, which I should have heeded “Rekabi said on state television.
In the final of the Asian Championships in South Korea, Rekabi caused a stir because she competed without a headscarf. Islamic clothing is compulsory for female athletes in the Iranian national team. After that she suddenly disappeared. Her action in Seoul was seen by many as solidarity with anti-system protests in Iran.
According to media reports, Rekabi’s team left the hotel on Monday morning. It is not known what happened to her first. Rekabi’s passport and mobile phone are said to have been confiscated, and there was also talk of an arrest. The Iranian embassy in Seoul categorically rejected such reports.
Rekabi’s brother in custody?
According to the Tasnim news agency, Rekabi also apologized for the concerns she had caused. Observers interpret the apology as a forced statement. The Iranian authorities regularly exert pressure. Persian-language media also reported that Rekabi’s brother had been arrested.
Since the nationwide protests broke out in Iran in mid-September, several prominent athletes have criticized the Islamic system of rule for the suppression of women’s protests and announced their solidarity with the demonstrators. (hub/dpa/afp)
Teaser image: © dpa / Irna/IRNA/AP/dpa
