SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An Iranian aggressive climber left South Korea on Tuesday after an occasion by which she climbed with out her nation’s obligatory headband overlaying, authorities stated. Farsi-language media outdoors of Iran warned she could have been pressured to go away early by Iranian officers and will face arrest again dwelling, which Tehran shortly denied.
The choice by Elnaz Rekabi to forgo the headband, or hijab, got here within the fifth week of protests sparked by the Sept. 16 demise in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by the nation’s morality police over her clothes.
Throughout her remaining 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.
Federation officers stated Rekabi wore a hijab throughout her earlier appearances on the weeklong climbing occasion. Whereas a lot of the girls competed in shorts and tank tops, she wore a long-sleeved shirt and tights.
An Instagram publish, written within the first particular person, provided an apology on Rekabi’s behalf. It stated she had been caught off guard by a name to come back to the competitors area and didn’t have time to placed on the hijab — though video of the occasion confirmed her apparently relaxed as she approached the wall.
The publish additionally sought to explain her journey again to Iran on Tuesday as being “on schedule.” The BBC’s Persian service stated she had been scheduled to return Wednesday and her flight was moved up unexpectedly.
BBC Persian, which has in depth contacts inside Iran regardless of being banned from working there, quoted an unnamed “knowledgeable supply” as saying Iranian officers had seized Rekabi’s cell phone and passport.
The Iranian authorities routinely pressures activists at dwelling and overseas, usually airing what rights group describe as coerced confessions on state tv.
IranWire — a web site based by Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, who as soon as was detained by Iran — alleged that Rekabi can be instantly transferred to Tehran’s infamous Evin Jail after arriving within the nation. Evin Jail was the location of a large hearth this weekend that killed at the very least eight prisoners.
In a tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied “all of the pretend, false information and disinformation” concerning Rekabi’s departure on Tuesday. However as a substitute of posting a photograph of her from the Seoul competitors, it posted a picture of her carrying a headband ultimately yr’s climbing world championships in Moscow, the place she completed third within the mixed occasion.
Calls to the Iranian Embassy in Seoul rang unanswered Tuesday.
Rekabi, 33, was one in all eight Iranian athletes competing on the Asian championships. Her performances within the bouldering and lead-climbing disciplines certified her for Sunday’s mixed remaining, by which she completed fourth among the many girls.
“Our understanding is that she is returning to Iran, and we'll proceed to observe the scenario because it develops on her arrival,” the Worldwide Federation of Sport Climbing, which oversaw the occasion, stated in a press release. “You will need to stress that athletes’ security is paramount for us and we assist any efforts to maintain a valued member of our group secure on this scenario.”
The federation stated it had been in contact with each Rekabi and Iranian officers, however declined to elaborate on the substance of these calls when reached by The Related Press. The federation additionally declined to debate the Instagram publish attributed to Rekabi and the claims in it.
The demonstrations over Amini’s demise characterize probably the most severe problem to Iran’s theocracy for the reason that mass protests surrounding its disputed 2009 presidential election.
To date, human rights teams estimate that over 200 individuals have been killed within the protests and the violent safety drive crackdown that adopted. Iran has not provided a demise toll in weeks. Demonstrations have been seen in over 100 cities, in keeping with the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Hundreds are believed to have been arrested.
Gathering details about the demonstrations stays troublesome. Web entry has been disrupted for weeks by the Iranian authorities. In the meantime, authorities have detained at the very least 40 journalists, in keeping with the Committee to Defend Journalists.
Iranian officers have repeatedly alleged the nation’s overseas enemies are behind the continuing demonstrations, quite than Iranians angered by Amini’s demise and the nation’s different woes.
Iranians have seen their life financial savings evaporate; the nation’s forex, the rial, plummeted and Tehran’s nuclear take care of world powers has been decreased to tatters.