Elnaz Rekabi: Iranian rock climber arrives back in Tehran after competing

CNN
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A female Iranian rock climber, who did not wear a hijab at an international competition in South Korea, has returned to Iran as Iranian groups based abroad raised alarms over her fate back home.

Elnaz Rekabi, 33, competed without a hijab during the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships in Seoul on Sunday. Videos of her wearing a headband with her hair in a ponytail while competing spread on social media.

Rekabi arrived in Tehran early on Wednesday morning, state media IRNA reported. Videos posted to social media show her arriving at the capital’s Imam Khomeini International Airport. She was also seen speaking to media.

More videos posted to social media appeared to show crowds gathered both inside and outside of the airport, chanting “Elnaz the hero.”

It is unclear whether Rekabi is under detention or if she will face repercussions.

Her return to Iran comes amid nationwide protests in the country calling for greater freedoms for women, following the death of a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after her arrest for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly.

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In a story posted on Rekabi’s Instagram page on Tuesday, the athlete said she was called to climb the wall “unexpectedly” which “unintentionally” created a problem with her hair covering.

“Due to bad timing and unexpectedly being called to climb the wall, I inadvertently created a problem with my head covering,” she wrote.

“Apologizing for the worries that I caused … currently, according to the pre-determined schedule I am returning to Iran with the team,” the IG story post said.

She reiterated that she had “accidentally” competed without a jihab in an interview with state media IRNA on her arrival in Tehran on Wednesday.

“Regarding this topic, as I already explained on my social media stories – it totally happened accidentally,” Rekabi said, when asked by the interviewer about the incident.

“I was unexpectedly called upon and I attended the competition. I somehow got busy with the equipment, and it made me negligent to the hijab,” she continued.

Iran mandates women wear a hijab when officially representing the country abroad.

In an interview Tuesday, before the climber arrived back in Tehran, her brother Davoud Rekabi told state-aligned Tasmin news agency that his sister would “always play wearing the national team’s uniform.”

“My sister had a hijab but was wearing a headband and unfortunately some people [took advantage] of this issue,” he said.

“My sister is a child of Iran, and she will always play wearing the national team’s uniform. Elnaz belongs to this land, and she will always…