Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi returns to Tehran, reveals reason for not wearing a hijab

Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi was welcomed at the international airport in Tehran on Wednesday by loud applause and anti-hijab protesters cheering in unison. Rekabi stepped into the spotlight earlier this week, when she participated in a competition in South Korea without wearing a hijab. 

Upon arrival, the Iranian athlete told the state TV that she did not wear the traditional headscarf because she was preoccupied with her equipment and was “unexpectedly called” to compete in the final round of the competition, according to Iran International, which stated that there are concerns about her arrest for the defiant act. 

Several Iranians had assembled at the airport to welcome Rekabi by chanting “Elnaz the Champion”. Despite the praise, the sportswoman told the media that her move was “unintentional”. The news of her return comes hours after she issued an apology on her Instagram handle for not wearing a hijab, an act that was lauded across the world for defying the Islamic Republic’s regime amid nationwide anti-hijab protests in Iran.

Rekabi opens up about not wearing a hijab

“Greetings to all dear and honorable Iranian compatriots, I am Alnaz Rekabi, with a history of twenty years as a member of the national mountaineering team,” she wrote in her Instagram story, before apologising for not wearing the headscarf at the IFSC Climbing Asian Championship in Seoul. Rekabi, in the post, claimed that her “head covering inadvertently came off” during the finals of the competition due to "bad timing, and the unanticipated call for me to climb the wall.”

Furthermore, her brother said that while she would "explain the details" of the situation by holding a press conference, Rekabi will continue participating in competitions while "wearing the shirt of the Iranian national team,” Tasnim news agency reported.

Prior to her arrival in Iran, an exclusive report by IranWire said that Rekabi would directly be taken to the Evin prison from the airport. Meanwhile, the United Nations, according to Iran International, expressed concern over the situation and said that they were bringing the concerns to the attention of Iranian authorities. “Women should never be prosecuted for what they wear. They should never be subjected to violations. We’ll be following this case very closely,” the spokesperson of the UN Human Rights said.