Was Elnaz Rekabi forced by Iran’s authorities to apologise for not wearing hijab?

Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi, who did not wear a hijab in a recent competition and later expressed regret for it, was forced to apologise for the act, according to a source. Earlier this week, the 33-year-old had issued an apology on her Instagram handle and claimed that her headscarf had fallen off “inadvertently” due to "bad timing, and the unanticipated call for me to climb the wall” during the competition. Her statement came after Iranian authorities threatened of taking away her family’s property, a source has told BBC Persian.

Rekabi gained the spotlight after she did not wear the hijab during the finals of the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asia Championship in Seoul, South Korea. She arrived at Tehran’s international airport on Wednesday, where crowds of admirers had gathered to welcome her, loudly chanting “Elnaz the hero" in unison.

Expressing gratitude for them, Rekabi wrote on Instagram on Friday: "I sincerely thank all those who came to the airport for welcoming me, I love you.” “I am endlessly grateful for the support of you, all the people of Iran, the most decent people of the planet, athletes and non-athletes, and all your support in [the] international community,” she added. 

The lengthy note came with an image, which featured her silhouette while she was suspended mid-air. "What I have gained till today was regarding the caring of you beautiful souls; and the future would not be a road without obstacles if you are not coming along,” she wrote in the caption of the image. 

Elnaz Rekabi under house arres, reports claim

The Instagram post comes as anti-hijab protesters fear for her safety and well-being amid the unrest in Iran. According to recent reports, Rekabi was placed under house arrest after she returned to the country, and her brother was taken under arrest by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard after a complaint was filed against him by Khosravi Vafa, the president of Iran’s national Olympic committee, who said that he had welcomed Rekabi as "a guest at Iran’s Olympic committee hotel for one day, along with her family.”

However, the BBC source claims that Rekabi was forced to stay there, and was detained inside the hotel room. The speculation was fueled when Rekabi was seen wearing the same attire at a meeting with Vafa and other officials, that she had worn hours before, at the international airport.