Posted in: 18/10/2022 – 15:10
Paris (AFP) – On Tuesday, non-governmental organizations and individuals voiced concern about the safety of Iranian climber Elnaz Rakabi after competing in a sports championship in South Korea without a headscarf, in a move that some saw as a message of solidarity with the women’s-led protests. in the Islamic Republic.
In the first comment for 33-year-old Rikabi since her participation in the Asian Climbing Championships in Seoul on Sunday, she apologized via her “Instagram” account for the “concern” she had caused and stressed that her outward appearance was “unintentional.” “.
A streaming broadcast published by the International Federation of Sport Climbing showed that in the first match, Rikabi appeared with her head covered with a handkerchief pulled back, but in the subsequent competition to climb a high wall with a rope, she only wrapped her head one headband showing all hair tied back, in violation of mandatory headscarf rules for women in Iran, which is also applied to mathematics by participating in competitions abroad.
This comes a month after the protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in Tehran for violating the dress code. The demonstrations turned into a movement against the mandatory headscarf and the Islamic Republic.
The supporters of the demonstrations considered Rekabi a “hero” and published his drawings by climbing on the letters of the slogan of the demonstrations, “A woman lives freedom”.
“Brave young Iranian woman! We need the world to stand on the side of Iranian women and condemn what is happening there,” Iranian-American entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari wrote in a tweet.
Nothing was heard from my passengers from the competition until Tuesday morning, he posted the post on his account, followed by over 200,000 accounts.
From what she wrote, “First of all, I apologize for all the anxiety I caused”, noting that she did not expect to be called to climb the wall “right now”, “and my veil has involuntarily become a problem”.
“I am currently traveling to Iran with the team on a schedule,” he added.
– Pressure in Seoul? –
There have been unconfirmed reports that he may be under pressure from Iranian officials in South Korea.
The BBC’s Persian network quoted an unnamed source as saying friends were unable to contact her and that the team left the hotel on Monday, two days before their scheduled departure time.
On the other hand, the news site IranWire reported that the head of the Iranian Climbing Federation “tricked” her into entering the Iranian embassy in Seoul and that she would be transferred to the airport soon after.
The site claimed that the union president had promised her safe passage to Iran if she handed over her phone and passport.
However, in a statement, the Iranian embassy in Seoul denied “all false and false news and misinformation concerning” Rakabi, adding that on Tuesday he left South Korea with his team members.
A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdani, said the United Nations is “following closely” the case.
“Women should never be prosecuted for what they wear,” she said in Geneva.
IranWire considered Rekabi’s statement on Instagram “similar to common forced confessions in the Islamic Republic” that activists accuse of forcing people to make on television or social media.
The statement was widely reported in the media inside Iran, including the semi-official Iran Students News Agency (ISNA).
Breaking the taboo
Rekabi is believed to be the second Iranian athlete to compete without a veil after boxer Sadaf Khadem, who openly appeared in a competition in France in 2019. Khadem has not returned to Iran and is currently in exile in France.
During the recent demonstrations, many male and female athletes have expressed their support for the demands of women. The repression hit some of them.
Former international Hussein Mahini was arrested, while the passport of former player Ali Daei, one of the most prominent names in the history of the national team, was seized. Daei’s passport was returned while Mahene was released on bail, according to reports.
And the Iranian news agency “Fars”, which reflects conservative views, published an editorial on Tuesday in which it criticized Rekabi without referring to her by name.
She wondered why the “Western, Zionist and Saudi” media had not paid attention to the victories of veiled Iranian women in recent days in athletics and weightlifting competitions, and instead “highlighted the performance of a girl whose behavior is contrary to tradition. “
© 2022 AFP
