Elnaz Rekabi, 33, competed without a hijab during the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships in Seoul, and videos of her just wearing a headband and not the required hijab quickly circulated online.
Many saw this as Rekabi’s support of the protests happening now in Iran after a 22-year-old woman was killed in police custody for not wearing her hijab properly.
Many are worried for Rekabi’s freedom, with fears that she will be thrown in prison following her return home.
Here’s the latest: Rekabi arrived in Tehran early on Wednesday morning, and on social media she posted this:
“Due to bad timing and unexpectedly being called to climb the wall, I inadvertently created a problem with my head covering,” she wrote.
“Apologizing for the worries that I caused … currently, according to the pre-determined schedule I am returning to Iran with the team,” the IG story post said.
She reiterated that she had “accidentally” competed without a jihab in an interview with state media IRNA on her arrival in Tehran on Wednesday.
“Regarding this topic, as I already explained on my social media stories – it totally happened accidentally,” Rekabi said, when asked by the interviewer about the incident.
“I was unexpectedly called upon and I attended the competition. I somehow got busy with the equipment, and it made me negligent to the hijab,” she continued.
It is unclear whether her comments were made under duress, however.
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Iranian Rock Climber Who Competed Without Hijab Arrives back in Tehran.
Here’s the latest: Rekabi arrived in Tehran early on Wednesday morning, and on social media she posted this:
It is unclear whether her comments were made under duress, however.