Safety fears for Elnaz Rekabi, Iranian climber who competed without hijab in Asian Championships

UPDATE 19/10/2022 at 12:30
According to the BBC, Elnaz Rekabi landed at Tehran airport in the early hours of today, and was greeted by a large crowd who welcomed the Iranian climber who competed without a hijab in South Korea, calling her a "heroine". In an interview with state TV she explained "I was suddenly and unexpectedly called on to compete while I was at the women's locker room. I was busy wearing my shoes and fixing my equipment and forgot to wear my hijab, which I should have worn." She added "Thank goodness, I've returned to Iran in good health and safe. And I apologise to the Iranian people for the confusion and concerns" Many experts believe that the 33-year-old's apology is the result of censorship, and call on the west to intensify pressure and media coverage not only about Rekabi's case in particular, but also the dramatic situation in Iran in general.

The crowd cheers as Elnaz Rekabi, a female climber who competed without a hijab in Seoul and was later censured and forced into an apology by Iranian authorities, arrives at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport in the early hours of the morning.#مهسا_امینیpic.twitter.com/KoiEOzhrGh

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) October 19, 2022

PUBLISHED ON 18/10/2022
There are mounting fears for the wellbeing of Elnaz Rekabi, the Iranian climber who at the weekend competed in the Asian Climbing Championships in Seoul without a hijab. Her climb in the South Korean capital was widely shared on social media and made headline news worldwide as it was interpreted by many as an extremely bold act, in open defiance of the Islamic Republic’s restrictions that oblige women to wear a hijab.

Her move comes amid the country-wide protests, led primarily by women, against the totalitarian regime that were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in mid-September. It is estimated by human rights groups that more than 200 people have been killed in the demonstrations.

There have been conflicting reports about Rekabi’s safety after her climb and while initial reports suggested she had gone missing altogether, earlier today the Embassy of Iran in Seoul explained in a tweet that Rekabi had simply left the country with her team early on the 18th of October, adding that it "strongly denies all the fake, false news and disinformation regarding Ms. Elnaz REKABI."

In a story published on her Instagram account and regarded as suspicious by many, Rekabi subsequently claimed she had climbed without a hijab because her headscarf had dropped by mistake and apologised "for all the concerns" she has caused.

In its official statement earlier today, the IFSC commented: "The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is fully aware of the news regarding Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi.

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. 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.

The IFSC fully support the rights of athletes, their choices, and expression of free speech."

In 2021 Rekabi became the first Iranian woman to win an IFSC medal at  the 2021 World Championships in Moscow.

While hopes are high that she is indeed well and unpunished, the anti-regime website Iran Wire stated today that on her arrival in Tehran she will almost certainly be transferred to Iran’s notorious Evin prison

This story is developing and will be updated when further reports become available.