An Iranian competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi, left South Korea on Tuesday after competing in an event in which she climbed without the Hijab as mandated by Iranian government, authorities said.
Farsi-language media outside Iran warned that she may have been forced to leave early by Iranian officials and could face arrest at home, which Tehran quickly denied.
The decision by Elnaz Rekabi, a multiple medalist in the competitions, to give up the headscarf, or hijab, came as protests sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman in custody on September 16 entered their fifth week. Mahsa Amini was detained by the moral police there because of her clothes.
The demonstrations, drawing school children, oil workers and others to the streets, represent the most serious challenge to Iran’s theocracy since mass protests surrounding a disputed 2009 presidential election.
Rekabi left Seoul on a Tuesday morning flight, the Iranian embassy in South Korea said. The BBC’s Persian service, which has extensive contacts in Iran despite being banned from operating there, quoted an unnamed “informed source” who described Iranian officials as confiscating Rekabi’s mobile phone and passport.
BBC Persian also reported that she was originally expected to return on Wednesday, but her flight was apparently moved up unexpectedly.
IranWire, another country-focused website founded by Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, who was once detained by Iran, claimed that Rekabi would be immediately transferred to Tehran’s infamous Evin prison upon arrival in the country. Evin Prison was the site of a massive fire this weekend that killed at least eight inmates.
In a tweet, the Iranian embassy in Seoul denied “all false, fake news and misinformation” regarding Rekabi’s departure on Tuesday.
But instead of posting a picture of her from the Seoul competition, she posted a picture of her wearing a headscarf at the previous competition in Moscow, where she also won a bronze medal. Calls to the Iranian embassy in Seoul went unanswered Tuesday.
According to the Seoul-based Korean Alpine Federation, organizers of the event, Rekabi did not wear a hijab during Sunday’s final at the International Sport Climbing Federation Asian Championships.
Federation officials said Rekabi wore a hijab during her first appearances at the weekly climbing event. Rekabi was a member of Iran’s 11-member delegation, which consists of eight athletes and three coaches, according to the federation.
Federation officials said they were initially unaware of Rekabi competing without a hijab, but looked into the matter after being asked about it.
They said the event had no rules requiring female athletes to wear or not wear headscarves. However, Iranian women competing abroad under the Iranian flag always wear the hijab.
South Korea’s Justice Ministry declined to confirm whether the Iranian athlete is still in South Korea or has left the country, citing privacy regulations. South Korea’s foreign ministry said it had no comment on the matter.
Rekabi, 33, has finished on the podium three times at the Asian Championships, winning one silver and two bronze medals for her efforts.
So far, human rights groups estimate that over 200 people have been killed in the protests and subsequent violent crackdown by security forces. Iran has not provided a death toll for several weeks. According to Human Rights Activists in Iran, demonstrations were seen in more than 100 cities. Thousands are believed to have been arrested.