Crowd Greets Rekabi, the Iranian Climber Who Broke Hijab Rule, at the Airport

A large crowd at the airport in Tehran greeted an Iranian sport climber who took part in a competition in South Korea without a headscarf, dubbing her a "heroine." Elnaz Rekabi, 33, disobeyed Iran's strict dress code, but she later claimed that her hijab fell off "accidentally." However, many people doubt the justification she provided in an Instagram post and reiterated in an airport state TV interview, thinking it was made under duress. For context, according to the dress code, Iranian women must wear loose clothing and cover their arms and legs in addition to their hair, covered by a headscarf. Additionally, in contests overseas where they are formally representing Iran, female athletes must likewise follow the rules. Furthermore, Rekabi arrived in Iran from the IFSC Asian Championships in South Korea early on Wednesday morning. Her relatives greeted her at the airport with many bouquets of flowers. In addition, she wore a black hoodie and baseball cap to conceal her hair. Videos posted on social media show a sizable crowd cheering and screaming "Elnaz is a heroine" as she came outside the terminal. Later, Rekabi told state media and reaffirmed the justification she provided in an Instagram post for wearing her hair down while climbing. "I was suddenly and unexpectedly called on to compete while I was at the women's locker room," she remarked. "I was busy wearing my shoes and fixing my equipment and forgot to wear my hijab, which I should have worn." More details Reka also claimed that the video of her wearing a ponytail sparked "some extreme reactions" and that she was "feeling stressed and tense." "Thank goodness, I've returned to Iran in good health and safety. And I apologize to the Iranian people for the confusion and concerns." Additionally, she refuted claims that she neglected to communicate with her friends and family and that she departed South Korea sooner than expected. "That didn't happen. We've returned to Iran exactly as planned," she revealed. However, many individuals felt that the language used appeared to have been written under duress, according to BBC Persian's Rana Rahimpour, after similar comments were made on Rekabi's Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon. She also noted that other Iranian athletes who competed abroad without a headscarf claimed Iranian officials pressured them to make such explanations. As a result, some of them made the decision not to return to Iran. Many ex-detainees also claimed that security personnel compelled them to give bogus "confessions" broadcasted on Iranian state television.

Rekabi went AWOL after the viral video

After a video of Rekabi wearing a ponytail at the Asian Championships on Sunday went viral, people praised her as a new representation of the Iranian women's anti-government rallies.

The crowd cheers as Elnaz Rekabi, a female climber who competed without a hijab in Seoul and was later censured and forced into an apology by Iranian authorities, arrives at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport in the early hours of the morning.#مهسا_امینیpic.twitter.com/KoiEOzhrGh

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) October 19, 2022

In other news, a source told BBC Persian on Monday that Rekabi's friends and family stopped communicating with her after she claimed to be with an Iranian official. Additionally, there rumors stated that she checked out of her hotel in Seoul two days early and that her passport and cell phone had been seized. However, the Iranian embassy categorically refuted all of the "fake news, lies and false information" about Rekabi, claiming that she departed Seoul after the Asian Championships were over. Also, Read- Airport 5G Restrictions are Requested Permanently by the Aviation Group The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) revealed that it was in contact with her and the Iranian Climbing Federation, and was working to establish the facts. It further stated, "It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation. The IFSC fully supports the rights of athletes, their choices, and expression of free speech."