Iranian climbing athlete Elnaz Rekabi completes competition without hijab, feared missing

Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi made headlines last weekend for not wearing a hijab while competing at the International Federation of Sport Climbing's Asian Championships in Seoul on Sunday.

The 33-year-old was told to be the second Iranian female athlete to disobey her country’s mandate about wearing a hijab. As per recent reports, Rekabi has gone missing after participating at the international climbing event in Seoul, South Korea. 

As per a report by BBC, Rekabi’s friends have revealed that they are unable to contact the athlete since Sunday night. The development comes despite the fact that the Iranian team left South Korea on Monday morning. As reported by the news site Iran Wire, Rekabi was taken to the Iranian embassy in Seoul after her event, so that she can be flown to Iran with minimal scrutiny. 

Who is Elnaz Rakibi?

Rekabi first made headlines in 2016 for becoming the first Iranian female to compete full-time in the International Federation of Sport Climbing World Cup. In an interview, the athlete revealed she financed her own career while trying to overcome gender discrimination. She became the first Iranian woman to win a medal at the IFSC World Championships by winning the bronze medal in 2021.

Protests on a peak due to Mahsa Amini’s death

Rekabi’s decision to compete at the event without the headscarf or hijab came after protests were sparked in her homeland. Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, while being in police custody on September 16, protests are in full flow in Iran and around the world. Amini was understood to be detained by the Iranian police due to her clothing. 

Amid doubts about Rekabi’s whereabouts, a report by Associated Press stated that as per the Iranian Embassy in South Korea, Rekabi left Seoul on a morning flight on Tuesday. At the same time, The BBC's Persian service reported that as per an informed source, Rekabi’s mobile phone and passport were seized by the Iranian officials. Another website named IranWire claimed that Rekabi would be moved to Tehran’s Evin Prison, upon her arrival in the country. 

What did the Iranian Embassy in South Korea say?

Meanwhile, the calls made to the Iranian Embassy in Seoul were unanswered till Tuesday. In a tweet clarifying the situation, the Iranian Embassy said, "Ms. Elnaz REKABI, departed from Seoul to Iran, early morning of October 18, 2022, along with the other members of the Team. The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in South Korea strongly denies all the fake, false news and disinformation regarding Ms. Elnaz REKABI." 

Alongside the tweet, the Embassy put out an image of Rekabi wearing a headscarf at a previous competition in Moscow. 

Rekabi didn’t wear the hijab on Sunday during the finals of the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asia Championship. However, as per the organisers, Rekabi wore a hijab in her initial appearances at the one-week-long climbing event. She was part of the 11-member Iranian delegation, which comprised eight athletes and three coaches, to the event.