Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi, who competed in the Asian Championships without a headscarf and then disappeared, according to the BBC, is back in Iran.

Upon her arrival in Tehran, Rekabi was received like a heroine, presented with flowers and surrounded by television cameras. At the International Airport Imam Khomeini, a large crowd gathered who sang her name.

The 33-year-old Iranian wore a baseball cap and a hoodie that covered her hair. In front of the camera, as before on Instagram, she said that not wearing the headgear required by Iran when she appeared at the Asian Championships in South Korea was “unintentional”.

“Forgotten Hijab”

She described how she hadn’t thought about her hijab in a waiting area just before her climb. “Since I was busy putting on my shoes and gear, I forgot to put on my hijab and then I had to start.”

She added that she returned to Iran with peace of mind, but also experienced a lot of stress and tension. “But thank God nothing has happened so far.”

It is unclear whether the Iranian regime put pressure on the athlete. According to human rights groups, critics on state television are more likely to be pressured into confessing.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iranian women have been required to cover their hair with a headscarf in public and to wear long, loose-fitting clothing, including when participating in athletic competitions.

protests

Rekabi’s bare-headed appearance comes as five weeks of protests have been going on inside and outside Iran over the death of a 22-year-old woman in custody. Mahsa Amini was arrested because of her clothing. Since her death, more and more Iranian women have been appearing in public without covering their heads. Protests in more than 100 cities are severely suppressed.

When the BBC first reported that she was missing in Seoul, that her mobile phone and passport were later confiscated and that her return flight was brought forward, they feared there would be consequences against Rekabi. She has now returned to Tehran with the entire Iranian team. It is not known where she went when she arrived.