Elnaz Rekabi

Tehran, Iran – An Iranian athlete has issued an apology after appearing without a hijab while representing her country in an international rock climbing ...

[Mahsa Amini,](/news/2022/9/28/what-we-know-after-11-days-of-protests-in-iran) 22, was detained for allegedly violating the country’s dress code and collapsed while in a “re-education” centre in Tehran, with her family challenging authorities’ claim that she was not beaten or mistreated. “Woman, life, freedom” has become one of the main slogans used during demonstrations by men and women. Elnaz REKABI,” it said, publishing an image of the athlete wearing a hijab. Rekabi was supposed to return to the Iranian capital with her teammates early on Wednesday morning, but her schedule was changed seemingly because many on social media said they would go to the Imam Khomeini International Airport to welcome and support her. In a story published on her Instagram account on Tuesday, professional rock climber Elnaz Rekabi apologised for the “worries that I caused”. “The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in South Korea strongly denies all the fake, false news and disinformation regarding Ms.

Elnaz Rekabi, 33, was praised by those protesting against Iran's dress code after video emerged of her at the Asian Championships in South Korea on Sunday. BBC ...

A source told BBC Persian on Monday that Ms Rekabi's passport and mobile phone were confiscated, and that she left her hotel in Seoul two days before her scheduled departure date. Authorities have denied killing peaceful demonstrators and instead blamed foreign-backed "rioters". "I was given a list of things to do. "It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation," it added. Other Iranian women who have competed abroad without wearing a headscarf in the past have said they came under pressure from Iranian authorities to issue similar apologies, she adds. Female athletes must also abide by the dress code when they are officially representing Iran in competitions abroad.

A female Iranian climber, who did not wear a hijab at an international competition in South Korea, left for Iran on Tuesday as Iranian groups based abroad ...

“There is a lot of information in the public sphere regarding Ms Rekabi and as an organisation we have been trying to establish the facts. So, the pressure on her started already from South Korea,” he said, “I don’t think anyone believes in what Iranian authorities say.” “Apologizing for the worries that I caused … Elnaz Rekabi, 33, competed without a hijab during the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships in Seoul on Sunday. The Iranian embassy in Seoul said that Rekabi departed on Tuesday along with “other members of the team” and “strongly denied all the fake, false news and disinformation.” 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.

Concerns were growing Tuesday for Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi, who competed at an event in South Korea without a hijab amid protests after Mahsa ...

The demonstrations that followed have developed into the most serious challenge to Iran’s government in more than a decade. “There is a lot of information in the public sphere regarding Ms Rekabi and as an organization we have been trying to establish the facts,” the statement said. Women across the country have responded by cutting their hair and appearing in public with their heads uncovered. What Elnaz did contributes to breaking off the fear, and the authorities can’t tolerate it. NBC News has reached out to the embassy for further comment, with calls going unanswered Tuesday. “Their rule is based on fear.

A female Iranian climber, who did not wear a hijab at an international competition in South Korea, left for Iran on Tuesday as Iranian groups based abroad ...

“There is a lot of information in the public sphere regarding Ms Rekabi and as an organisation we have been trying to establish the facts. Elnaz Rekabi, 33, competed without a hijab during the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships in Seoul on Sunday. “Apologizing for the worries that I caused … The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) said it’s “fully aware of news” regarding Rekabi and it’s their “understanding” that she is returning to Iran. The Iranian embassy in Seoul said that Rekabi departed on Tuesday along with “other members of the team” and “strongly denied all the fake, false news and disinformation.” 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.

The decision by Iran climber Elnaz Rekabi to forgo a hijab came as protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini have entered a fifth week.

The federation said it had been in touch with both Rekabi and Iranian officials, but declined to elaborate on the substance of those calls when reached by The Associated Press. Demonstrations have been seen in over 100 cities, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. In a tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied "all the fake, false news and disinformation" regarding Rekabi’s departure on Tuesday. "It is important to stress that athletes’ safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation." Federation officials said Rekabi wore a hijab during her initial appearances at the one-week climbing event. Rekabi left Seoul on a Tuesday morning flight, the Iranian Embassy in South Korea said.

Rekabi competed in the finals of a multinational event in South Korea without wearing a hijab, which is mandatory for all Iranian athletes, ...

The death toll also includes at least 23 children, a number [corroborated](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/many-23-children-killed-during-iran-protests-un-rights-office-says-2022-10-18/) by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. [reported](https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/09/mahsa-amini-acting-un-human-rights-chief-urges-impartial-probe-death-iran) blow to the head with a baton—following which she fell into a three-day coma. As part of the protests, thousands of Iranian women have taken to both social media and the streets to protest against the enforcement of the hijab by burning their headscarves and chopping locks off their hair. The morality police deemed that she was violating the public dress code for women which requires them to cover their heads with a hijab and wear loose-fitting clothes that cover their arms and legs. We have also been in contact with Ms Rekabi and the Iranian Climbing Federation. “There is a lot of information in the public sphere regarding Ms Rekabi and as an organisation we have been trying to establish the facts.

An Iranian climber who broke Iran's Islamic laws by competing at an international tournament without her hair covered is on her way back to Tehran, ...

Concerns are mounting for the Iranian climber, who competed in this past weekend's Asian Continental Championships without a hijab amid high-profile ...

“They might call her to go to a disciplinary committee and answer some questions or even worse,” the anonymous source stated. “We are all worried and waiting for her to arrive.” She had intended to return to Tehran following the competition but, when an arrest warrant was issued, she was forced to stay in France. On Tuesday, Rekabi appeared to post a message on Instagram stating, “I, Elnaz Rekabi, with more than 20 years of experience in the national Iranian rock climbing team, apologize for the concerns I have created. They responded saying that the IFSC had contacted Rekabi and was “trying to establish the facts.” For the past five weeks, women have since been removing their hijabs in solidarity, throwing them down or even setting fire to them in public demonstrations. [IranWire](https://iranwire.com/en/politics/108685-iranwire-exclusive-iranian-athlete-who-competed-without-hijab-will-be-directly-transferred-to-evin-prison/) wrote that she was reportedly tricked by Reza Zarei, the head of Iran’s climbing federation, to enter the Iranian embassy in Seoul and hand over her passport and phone in exchange for her safe return to Iran. “It is important to stress that athletes’ safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation. In 2019, at 27, Khadem became the first female Iranian boxer to win an overseas fight, doing so without her hijab. Children who have participated have been detained and sent to mental health facilities to “reform” and expel their “anti-social” behaviors, as stated by Iran’s Education Minister Yousef Nouri to an Iranian newspaper. They just changed the hotel to run away from all the interviewers in front of the hotel. In the days afterward, news circulated that she had gone missing—some reports say she is hiding in a hotel, while others suggest she is in the custody of the Iranian government.

Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi is reportedly missing after she competed in a climbing competition without a hijab. Rekabi's family and friends have reportedly ...

[IranWire](https://twitter.com/HillelNeuer/status/1582196700999208960) reported that officials plan to take her directly to [Evin prison](https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1582190581580591104) upon her return. [Amnesty International](https://twitter.com/amnesty/status/1582396279312637952) tweeted that the organization was “alarmed” by the reports, noting that she could be “at real risk of arbitrary arrest, torture and other ill-treatment.” [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63297219). “We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops on her arrival.” [protesting the morality police](https://www.thecut.com/2022/10/women-across-iran-are-protesting-the-morality-police.html) and the Iranian government following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who died while in police custody. Rekabi made international news this weekend when she competed in the Asian Championships climbing competition in Seoul without a hijab — a requirement for women in Iran and those representing the nation abroad.

Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi returned safely to Tehran amid reports of her going missing for not wearing the hijab during a sports competition.

It was assumed that Elnaz Rekabi, 33, defied the Islamic Republic’s rules regarding the hijab while competing in the Asian Sport Climbing Championships in Seoul on Sunday. According to a BBC Persian report, Elnaz Rekabi’s friends had confirmed that they had not been able to contact her since Sunday. According to her Instagram, she revealed that she was on her way back with fellow athletes, which was why she could not contact her friends, who reported being unable to contact her.

Competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi received a hero's welcome on her return to Tehran Wednesday, after competing in South Korea without wearing a mandatory ...

Demonstrations have been seen in over 100 cities, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. The federation said it had been in touch with both Rekabi and Iranian officials, but declined to elaborate on the substance of those calls when reached by The Associated Press. "It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation." In a tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied "all the fake, false news and disinformation" regarding Rekabi's departure. Federation officials said Rekabi wore a hijab during her initial appearances at the one-week climbing event. She walked into one of the airport's terminals, filmed by state television cameras and wearing a black baseball cap and a black hoodie covering her hair.

Athlete Elnaz Rekabi arrives in Tehran to chants of "heroine" after competing with her hair uncovered.

On Monday, a source told BBC Persian that Ms Rekabi's family and friends had lost contact with her after she said she was with an Iranian official. "It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation," it added. The protests were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by morality police in Tehran on 13 September for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. Other Iranian sportswomen who have competed abroad without wearing a headscarf in the past have said they came under pressure from Iranian authorities to issue similar apologies, she added. "Thank goodness, I've returned to Iran in good health and safe. She covered her hair with a black baseball cap and hoodie.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Iranian competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi received a hero's welcome on her return to Tehran early Wednesday, after competing ...

The federation said it had been in touch with both Rekabi and Iranian officials, but declined to elaborate on the substance of those calls when reached by The Associated Press. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged the departures of the Iranian athlete and her team from the country without elaborating. “It is important to stress that athletes’ safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation.” She received flowers from an onlooker, and then repeated what had been posted on Instagram that not wearing the hijab was “unintentional” and her travel had been as previously planned. In a tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied “all the fake, false news and disinformation” regarding Rekabi’s departure. Rekabi wore a hijab during her initial appearances at the one-week climbing event.

Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi competes during the women's Boulder & Lead final during the IFSC Climbing Asian Championships in Seoul, Sunday, Oct. 16.

Demonstrations have been seen in over 100 cities, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. The federation said it had been in touch with both Rekabi and Iranian officials, but declined to elaborate on the substance of those calls when reached by The Associated Press. In a tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied “all the fake, false news and disinformation” regarding Rekabi’s departure. “It is important to stress that athletes’ safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation.” She received flowers from an onlooker, and then repeated what had been posted on Instagram that not wearing the hijab was “unintentional” and her travel had been as previously planned. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy)and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms)apply. Federation officials said Rekabi wore a hijab during her initial appearances at the one-week climbing event. So far, human rights groups estimate that over 200 people have been killed in the protests and the violent security force crackdown that followed. Evin Prison was the site of a massive fire this past weekend that killed at least eight prisoners. The Iranian government routinely pressures activists at home and abroad, often airing what rights group describe as coerced confessions on state television. 16 death in custody of a 22-year-old woman have entered a fifth week. Rekabi’s decision not to wear the hijab while competing Sunday comes as protests sparked by the Sept.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency filmed Elnaz Rekabi's arrival and briefly interviewed her at the airport just outside Tehran.

The 29-year-old is now said to be competing in a private capacity and living in France. Rekabi and the Iranian Climbing Federation," the IFSC said. The IFSC fully support the rights of athletes, their choices, and expression of free speech." Khadem had intended to return to Tehran after the competition but was forced to stay in France, after Iranian authorities reportedly issued an arrest warrant over her violations of the dress code. Rekabi is believed to be one of the first Iranian female athletes to disobey the hijab requirement -- a move that was widely praised by observers on social media as "historic," "daring," "courageous" and "powerful." "She can be forced to confess in front of the camera on national TV." Iran requires women to don the garment in a way that fully covers their hair while in public. They said she suffered a heart attack at the police station and died after being in a coma for two days. [protests](https://abcnews.go.com/International/students-iran-continue-protest-regime-warnings-threats/story?id=91242141) have swept across Iran in recent weeks, [sparked by the death](https://abcnews.go.com/International/iranian-women-drive-protests-targeting-regime-suspicious-death/story?id=90313020) of a young woman who was detained by the morality police for breaching the strictly enforced Islamic dress code. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women are required to wear a hijab in Iran. I was busy putting on my shoes and technical gear, and that caused me to forget putting on the hijab I had to be wearing. We came back to Iran according to the plan.

The Iranian climber caused controversy by competing in an international contest without a veil. She has said she climbed without a hijab unintentionally.

She said she had no plan to quit the national team. Iran’s embassy in South Korea, on Twitter, denied reports about her going missing after the competition. In comments to state TV upon her arrival in Tehran, Rekabi said she had returned in "full health" and apologised to "the people of Iran for the turbulence and worry that I created", her head covered by a baseball cap and a hood as she spoke.

There were fears for Elnaz Rekabi's safety as she competed without the state-mandated headscarf amid mass protests against in Iran.

Rekabi added that said she intended to continue competing for Iran. [with Iranian state news agency IRNA](https://t.me/irna_1313/188887) from inside the terminal, Rekabi appeared nervous. With her head covered with a baseball cap and a hood, she echoed the explanation given in her Instagram story that a last-minute call to compete had caused her to forget to put on her headscarf.

The athlete appeared on Iranian state TV saying she was sorry "for the confusion and concerns" over her safety, before being driven from the airport to an ...

Rekabi was met at the airport in Tehran by her family and given flowers. Rekabi denied leaving Seoul earlier than expected, and said she was feeling stressed due to "some extreme reactions." She was wearing a baseball cap and a hood, which covered her hair. "I was suddenly and unexpectedly called on to compete while I was at the women's locker room," Rekabi said Wednesday, according to BBC News. Upon landing on Wednesday, she gave an interview to Iranian state media in which she repeated claims made in a text-only post that appeared the previous day on her Instagram account. The unrest was sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Iran's morality police in September for allegedly not wearing her headscarf correctly.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi returned to Tehran early Wednesday after competing in South Korea without wearing a ...

Later on Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee said it held a joint meeting with the International Federation of Sport Climbing and Iranian officials. Demonstrations have been seen in over 100 cities, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. The Iranian Embassy in Seoul had denied “all the fake, false news and disinformation” regarding Rekabi’s departure. Internet access has been disrupted for weeks by the Iranian government. So far, human rights groups estimate that over 200 people have been killed in the weekslong protests and the violent security force crackdown that followed. The somber scene then gave way to one of a jubilant crowd outside the terminal. After landing, Rekabi gave a careful, emotionless interview to Iran’s hard-line state television, saying that going without a hijab had been an “unintentional” act on her part. [Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari who once was detained by Iran](/article/new-york-rob-riggle-iran-archive-jon-stewart-9f6e5375b2724b01a2a7981afefa3df2), suggested that Rekabi could immediately be taken to Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, where dissidents are held. Rekabi left Seoul on a Tuesday morning flight. Women athletes competing at home or abroad, whether playing volleyball or running track, are expected to keep their hair covered as a sign of piety. A man handed her flowers. 16 death of a 22-year-old woman are in their fifth week.

Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi has returned to Tehran after competing in South Korea without wearing a headscarf.

Later on Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee said it held a joint meeting with the International Federation of Sport Climbing and Iranian officials. Demonstrations have been seen in over 100 cities, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. The Iranian Embassy in Seoul had denied “all the fake, false news and disinformation” regarding Rekabi’s departure. Internet access has been disrupted for weeks by the Iranian government. So far, human rights groups estimate that over 200 people have been killed in the weekslong protests and the violent security force crackdown that followed. The somber scene gave way to one of a jubilant crowd outside the terminal. The BBC’s Persian service, which has extensive contacts within Iran despite being banned from operating there, quoted an unnamed “informed source” as saying Iranian officials had seized both Rekabi’s mobile phone and passport. After landing, Rekabi gave a careful, emotionless interview to Iran’s hard-line state television, saying that going without a hijab had been an “unintentional” act on her part. Rekabi left Seoul on a Tuesday morning flight. [nationwide protests](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-09-23/iran-mass-protests-mahsa-amini-death-explainer) sparked by the Sept. Female athletes competing at home or abroad, whether playing volleyball or running track, are expected to keep their hair covered as a sign of piety. A man handed her flowers.