Iranian champion wrestler, Malika Bilali, currently residing in Scotland, is benefiting from a “protection plan”, police announced on Friday, after she was subjected to threats accusing Bilali of Tehran directing it.
Malika Bilali, 22, a women’s rights activist in Iran since she left the country a year ago, accuses the Iranian government of harassing and threatening her on social networks.
“They’ve been trying to find out where I live and who I’m training with,” he said in an interview broadcast by the BBC.
He also added: “But thanks to Police Scotland (…) I live safe and train somewhere safe,” adding: “These threats make me stronger.”
Iranian wrestler Malika Belali – center –
protection plan
For his part, a spokesman for Police Scotland confirmed to AFP that police had been made aware of “online threats issued in July 2022”, adding: “An investigation has been carried out and a protection plan has been put in place” .
The Iranian embassy in London did not comment when questioned on the matter.
Malika Belali, who won gold for Scotland at the British Wrestling Championships in June, took the win in protest at Strict dress code that women are forced to follow in Iran.
Malika Belali
“End of the Compulsory Veil”
A banner reading “End of Mandatory Veil” and “I have the right to be a wrestler” was held up during the awards ceremony.
Bilali had made these statements two months before the ongoing demonstrations in Iran since September 16, following the death of Mahsa Amini (age 22), days after she was arrested by the morality police for not complying with the strict dress code.
In solidarity with protesters, Bilali shaved off her hair during a recent demonstration in Glasgow. The young woman had immigrated to Scotland in November 2021 to advance her sporting career.
Iranian protests and a photo of Mahsa Amini (AFP)
Woman rights
Bilali, who was forced to wear the hijab at the age of five when living in Iran with her family, also confirmed that her relatives have disowned her for publicly expressing her views. She told the BBC how for a long time her family prevented her from fighting for her rights because she is a woman.
Interestingly, Iran has been witnessing protests in different parts of the country for several weeks, following the killing of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the police for wearing a veil that the authorities considered “inappropriate”.
Amini’s death has since ignited anger on several issues, including the restrictions placed on personal freedoms and strict rules on women’s dress, as well as the economic and housing crisis Iranians suffer from, not to mention the strict laws imposed by the regime and its policy and religious composition in general.
