Fears grow for Iranian athlete who competed without hijab


Iranian sport climber Elnaz Rekabi, 33, competed without wearing a hijab at the International Federation of Sport Climbing's (IFSC) Asian Championships in Seoul on Sunday. She promptly left South Korea on Tuesday, with speculation that she was forced to leave by Iranian officials and could potentially face arrest back in Iran, where women are required to wear a headscarf in public at all times, reports The Associated Press. The Iranian embassy in Seoul confirmed that Rekabi left Seoul for Iran but denied "all fake news, lies, and false information" about her, BBC reports.
Rekabi's actions come while protests in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini have garnered international attention. Rekabi was praised by a number of human rights groups including Amnesty International, which also acknowledged that she could face "severe consequences" in Iran, writes NBC News.
Concerns about Rekabi have grown since an Instagram account attributed to her posted on Tuesday, apologizing for "getting everybody worried" and saying that her hijab "inadvertently came off." The post was written in the first person despite nobody being able to contact Rekabi on Monday, with a source telling BBC Persia that Rekabi's passport and mobile phone were confiscated.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iranian women have been required to wear a hijab both in Iran and when officially representing the country abroad, ABC News explains. The IFSC has reportedly been in contact with Rekabi and Iranian officials but has not provided more details, AP continues.
"The IFSC fully support the rights of athletes, their choices, and expression of free speech," they said in a statement.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Savages: a tragi-comedy set in a 'quirky handcrafted world'
The Week Recommends This new animated film by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Claude Barras is undeniably political, but it has a hopeful message
-
Why 'faceless bots' are interviewing job hunters
In The Spotlight Artificial intelligence is taking over a crucial part of recruitment
-
Who will win the battle for the soul of the Green Party?
An ideological divide is taking root among the environmentalists
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring push
Speed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additions
Speed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oil
Speed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymander
Speed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
-
Texas Democrats exit state to block redistricting vote
Speed Read More than 51 legislators fled the state in protest of the GOP's plan to redraw congressional districts
-
Trump criticized for firing BLS chief after jobs report
Speed Read Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Erika McEntarfer oversaw a July jobs report that the president claims was rigged
-
Could Iran's water crisis be the regime's tipping point?
Today's Big Question Drought is a problem. So is government mismanagement.