Iranian climber Ernaz Rekhabi fears after competing in Seoul without hijab | Iran

Health concerns are growing for Iranian climbers who competed in international tournaments without hijabs. Korea A friend told the BBC Persian service that she had not been heard from since Sunday.

The BBC also quoted ‘sources’ as saying that Ernaz Rekavi’s passport and mobile phone were confiscated before he boarded a plane back to Tehran on Tuesday.

BBC World Service presenter Rana Rahinpour murmured “I am concerned about her safety,” he said.

Online news site Iran Wire Reported recabi He had been taken to the Iranian embassy in Seoul so that he could return home with minimal scrutiny.

Iran Wire, a small dissident website, cited sources saying Rekhabi would return to Tehran a day earlier than planned on Tuesday to deter possible protests at Imam Khomeini International Airport.

The Guardian was unable to confirm the report.

and tweet on tuesdaythe Iranian embassy in Seoul said it “strongly denies all fakes, false news and disinformation” regarding Rekavi.

Rekavi was competing in the Asian Championships. The organizers, the International Sport Climbing Federation, have been contacted for comment.

We hadn’t heard anything since the event from Rekavi until Tuesday morning, when the story was published on her Instagram account, which has more than 200,000 followers.

“First of all, I would like to apologize for all the concerns I have caused,” the statement said. “Unintentionally my hijab became a problem due to the timing of starting the climb and the sudden call,” it said. We are on our way back to Iran together,” he added.

The circumstances under which the statement was made are not clear.

Iran embroiled in ensuing deadly protests Death of Masa Amini He was arrested by police last month. The 22-year-old man was detained by the country’s “ethics police” for not wearing the hijab properly.

Some female protesters burned their hijabs and cut off their hair, while the crowd shouted “Zan, Zendegi and Azadi” (“Woman, Life, Freedom”).

Last year, Rekavi became the first Iranian woman to win a medal at the World Sport Climbing Championships. She finished her fourth at last weekend’s event in South Korea.a video clip During the event, she tied her hair into a ponytail and showed herself climbing a wall.

Recabi posting a photo on Instagram She trains in a hijab and is also the second Iranian female athlete to compete while openly defying Iran’s strict laws requiring women to wear Islamic head coverings. It is considered

2019 boxer Sadaf Kadem She became the first Iranian woman to win a battle abroad since the Islamic Revolution. Kadem said she chose to remain in France after the match, with Iranian authorities reportedly issuing an arrest warrant for her.

In a 2016 interview with France-based Euronews, Rekabi admitted that wearing a hijab while climbing can cause even more physical problems.

“At first, it was a little strange for other athletes who were interested in seeing a girl with a scarf around her head and clothes covering her arms and legs competing in hot temperatures,” she said. said.

“Yes, the hijab can be a problem when it’s hot. During competition, the body needs to lose heat. I tried