Iranian chess player Sara Khadem wants to settle in Spain now that photos have surfaced of her participation in an international tournament without a headscarf. According to the Iranian regime, she must wear such a headscarf, also in Kazakhstan.
Khadem, 25, is the latest addition to a now significant list of Iranian sportswomen who have participated in an international sports tournament without hijab since the outbreak of large-scale protests against the Iranian regime in September. Khadem, also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, made headlines worldwide when she appeared to be playing without a headscarf for the second day at the Fide World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in Almaty.
Fearing reprisals, she would move to a Spanish city with her husband, the film director Ardeshir Ahmadi, and their young child. Two sources reported this to the newspaper The country. The family has an apartment in Spain, but it is not clear whether they have applied for asylum and received a residence permit.
In October, climber Elnaz Rekabi took part in a competition in South Korea without a headscarf, although she later (forced?) let it be known that it had ‘accidentally fallen off’. And in November, archer Parmida Ghasemi showed her support for the protests by taking off her hijab at a medal ceremony in Tehran, also later saying she hadn’t noticed it had fallen off.
Iran has been gripped by large-scale protests against the regime for months following the death of a woman as a result of violence by the vice squad. More than 500 demonstrators have now been killed in the protests, according to human rights organizations.
