Lauren C. Moye, FISM News
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Concerns grow for the safety of Elnaz Rekabi — a female Iranian rock climber who appeared in a recent international championship in South Korea without a hijab — after a text-based image posted to social media remains her only communication since the end of the competition.
Rekabi made international news when a video clip from the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships, held in Seoul on Sunday, surfaced that showed her competing without a headscarf on her hair. Some saw it as a signal that Rekabi was protesting Iran’s dress code after the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested on Sept. 13 for allegedly wearing a hijab too loosely.
On Monday, concerned friends contacted BBC Persian to say they could not contact her. One source told BBC that Rekabi’s passport and mobile phone had been confiscated.
Within hours, a text-based image was posted to her Instagram saying that the “head covering inadvertently came off” when she was surprised by being called up to compete.
That image is now missing, but is still circulating by individuals concerned for her safety:
Update 2: #ElnazRekabi posted on Instagram that the “problem” with her hijab happened “unintentionally”; due to “improper timing & the unforeseen invitation for me to climb, my outfit was inadvertently problematic.” pic.twitter.com/wzBcvzA3gA
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 18, 2022
Hillel Neuer, the executive director of the United Nations Watch, warned that Rekabi would have posted immediately after the competition if the missing hijab had been an accident and also would show herself by video to prove she was “truly safe and fine.”
“She’ll probably be forced to confess at least one time more on state TV,” said Maziar Bahari, a former Iranian political prisoner and journalist who works with the independent news agency IranWire.
Bahari appears correct. Rekabi’s brother, Dauod, made a statement through Iranian state-owned Tasmin News that Rekari “will return to Iran” at which point they will hold a press conference so she can “explain the circumstances.”
The Iran Embassy in Seoul reported around midnight (EST) that Rekabi and members of the Iran climbing team had departed for Iran. They called it “fake, false news” that Rekabi was in any danger.
However, IranWire reported that Rekabi was tricked into reporting to the Iranian embassy building in Seoul. She then handed over her passport and phone in exchange for a safe and quick return to Iran.
Their sources report that Rekabi will be sent directly to the Evin prison after her plane lands in Iran.
Currently, Rekabi is rumored to be on a layover in Doha, Qatar. Her next flight, which will land in Tehran, leaves at roughly 5:30 PM (EST).
.@ifsclimbing Your statement is weak. You know that her latest Instagram post—about what she did at your competition—reads like a forced confession. You know #ElnazRekabi is in Doha for another 9 hours. Speak out NOW to demand she not be sent back to Iran. Before it’s too late. https://t.co/n5yx1LDHQ5 pic.twitter.com/FxRoxApktP
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 18, 2022
According to Iran Wire, Rekabi intentionally forwent her hijab to defy Iranian law by representing the country without the proper dress code.
The decision is most likely linked to the 22-year-old Amini’s death in police custody on Sept. 16, three days after her arrest. Local authorities say a heart attack was responsible, but allegations of excessive use of force have become a rallying point. The resulting protests are now in their fifth week.
Human rights groups estimate that 200 people have been killed as forces crackdown on the protests. It’s been estimated that thousands have been arrested. The Committee to Protect Journalists estimate that at least 40 journalists are also incarcerated.