Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi 'forced to apologise' for competing without headscarf

Climber Elnaz Rekabi was 'forced' by Iranian authorities to apologise for not wearing a headscarf while taking part in an international competition, according to reports.

Iranian authorities reportedly threatened to seize her family’s property if she did not apologise, BBC Persian reported, citing an unspecified source.

Rekabi, gained international media attention when she competed at a climbing tournament in South Korea without a headscarf, violating the Iranian regime's strict dress code. She later said her headscarf had fallen off 'inadvertently'.

Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi in international competition appears without wearing a hijab, in open defiance of the regime’s requirements for women. pic.twitter.com/pPpzZ6Fvhs

— Frida Ghitis (@FridaGhitis) October 16, 2022

Iran's strict rules on the wearing of the headscarf have become especially contentious since the fatal beating of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iranian morality police custody last month.

The death of Amini, who was arrested for wearing her headscarf 'improperly', has sparked widespread anti-government protests. The demonstrations have seen women remove and sometimes burn their headscarves. 

Rekabi was hailed as a hero by the protesters for her perceived defiance of the government’s dress code rules, and a large crowd greeted her upon her return from South Korea. 

According to the BBC, she was detained in a room in Iran’s National Olympic Committee building upon her return until she met Iran’s sports minister the next day. She is currently under house arrest, according to the source. 

Tehran has maintained that Rekabi is staying at home to rest after competing in Seoul. 

Several Iranian sportspeople have spoken out against the Islamic Republic and most recently support of the protests.

Iran’s only female Olympic medallist, Kimia Alizadeh, fled the country to Germany in 2020. Earlier this month, Iran reportedly seized the passport of the famous ex-footballer Ali Daei after he called on Iran's government to "solve the problems of the Iranian people rather than using repression, violence and arrests".