DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian sport climber who had been the topic of widespread fear after she competed with no scarf confirmed up Wednesday in Tehran and made a public assertion calling the lapse “unintentional.”
Elnaz Rekabi, 33, reportedly left a day sooner than deliberate after the competitors in South Korea, and the BBC mentioned her telephone and passport had been taken by Iranian officers.
Her look with out the hijab was extensively seen as an act of assist for anti-government demonstrators amid weeks of protests over the dying of a younger girl who had been detained by the nation’s morality police.
After touchdown in Tehran, Rekabi gave a cautious, impassive interview to Iran’s hard-line state tv, saying that going with no hijab had been an unintentional act on her half. Nonetheless, a whole bunch gathered exterior Imam Khomeini Worldwide Airport — together with girls not sporting the hijab — and cheered for “Elnaz the Champion,” casting Rekabi as an inspiration for his or her continued protests.
The longer term Rekabi faces after returning house stays unclear. Supporters and Farsi-language media exterior of Iran have apprehensive about her security.
Throughout her last bouldering occasion Sunday on the Worldwide Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asia Championship, Rekabi wore a headband. However an hour later, when she got here out for the lead-climbing occasion, she as a substitute wore a black headband, along with her hair pulled again in a ponytail.
An evidence posted to an Instagram account in her identify mentioned that her not sporting the hijab was “unintentional.” That publish mentioned she was caught off guard by a name to return to the competitors area and didn’t have time to placed on the scarf — though video of the occasion confirmed her apparently relaxed as she approached the wall.
In entrance of the cameras in Tehran, she gave a barely completely different rationalization: “As a result of I used to be busy placing on my sneakers and my gear, it brought on me to neglect to placed on my hijab, after which I went to compete,” she mentioned.
She added: “I got here again to Iran with peace of thoughts though I had a number of stress and stress. However to this point, thank God, nothing has occurred.”
She was sporting a sweatshirt with the hood protecting her head, in addition to a baseball cap.
Rekabi left Seoul on a Tuesday morning flight. The BBC’s Persian service, which has intensive contacts inside Iran regardless of being banned from working there, quoted an unnamed “knowledgeable supply” as saying Iranian officers seized each Rekabi’s cell phone and passport. BBC Persian additionally mentioned she initially had been scheduled to return on Wednesday, however her flight apparently was moved up unexpectedly.
Afterward Wednesday, the Worldwide Olympic Committee mentioned it held a joint assembly with the Worldwide Federation of Sport Climbing and Iranian officers. The IOC mentioned it acquired “clear assurances that Ms. Rekabi won't endure any penalties and can proceed to coach and compete.”
The IOC described Rekabi as being along with her household and mentioned she joined a name with officers.
Rekabi was not scheduled to compete within the last World Cup occasion of the climbing season, this week in Japan.
She was considered one of eight Iranian athletes competing on the Asian championships. Her performances within the bouldering and lead-climbing disciplines certified her for Sunday’s mixed last, by which she completed fourth among the many girls.
Climbing federation officers mentioned Rekabi wore the hijab throughout her earlier appearances on the weeklong occasion. Whereas a lot of the girls competed in shorts and tank tops on the out of doors venue, she wore a long-sleeved shirt and tights.
The Iranian Embassy in Seoul had denied “all of the pretend, false information and disinformation” relating to Rekabi’s departure. However as a substitute of posting a photograph of her from the Seoul competitors, it posted a picture of her sporting a headband ultimately yr’s climbing world championships in Moscow, the place she completed third within the mixed occasion.
Fissures in Iranian society have develop into deeper throughout nationwide protests sparked by the Sept. 16 dying in custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been detained by the morality police over her clothes.
Up to now, human rights teams estimate that over 200 folks have been killed within the weekslong protests and the violent safety pressure crackdown that adopted. Iran has not supplied a dying toll in weeks. Demonstrations have been seen in over 100 cities, in response to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Hundreds are believed to have been arrested.