An Iranian female rock climber without a hijab competition was forced to leave the country after facing persecution.
Elnaz Rekabi participated in the Global Watch in October 2022 when she competed in South Korea without wearing the turban needed by women in Islamic Republic.
Many were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, a sign of solidarity in her homeland in September 2022 during national protests.
She returned home and disappeared from public view, with some Iranian media outside of Persian media reporting that she had been arrested and banned from playing abroad.
Her brother, Davood, confirmed the news of her departure from Iran in an Instagram post.
“I hope this is a better place for you, so those who miss you won’t put pressure on us.”
Isna, the Iranian news agency, reported that she had moved to Spain and quoted Mehdi Alinejad, the Iranian National Olympic Committee, saying he was aware of Davood Rekabi’s Instagram post.
“If they want to engage in professional sports, they should be in Iran. Over the past two years, the National Olympic Committee has supported Rekabi, which she herself will acknowledge. ” he told reporters Tuesday.
But he added: “Everyone has the choice of a place to live.”
It is not clear when and where Elnaz Rekabi left Iran.
In another development, the International Sports Climbing Federation announced last month that Rekabi was appointed as the “athlete role model” for sports climbing at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics.
It said her role was confirmed at a meeting between herself, IFSC president Marco Scolaris and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.
