After three days of uncertainty: Elnas Rekabi reports on Instagram scandal at KP party congress in Beijing: ex-head of state Hu is expelled from Saal

Iranian climber Elnas Rekabi has spoken out after days of uncertainty over her fate on her return to Tehran. She thanked her fans via Instagram, especially those who welcomed her at Tehran airport after her return from the Asian Championships in South Korea. The 33-year-old ended her message with the words “I, people, Iran”, which was interpreted on social media on Saturday as support for the systemic protests in Iran.

Rekabi entered the final in Seoul without a headscarf – and then suddenly disappeared. After her return to Iran, there was speculation that it had happened under duress and that she was under strict house arrest. With her performance, Rekabi became the heroine of the protests against the Islamic system and the compulsory headscarf in Iran that have been going on for more than a month.

After her return, the athlete apologized for the “unintentional headscarf error”. However, many observers suspected that she was forced to do so by the Ministry of Sports. At the mandatory meeting with Sports Minister Hamid Sajadi, she again did not wear a traditional headscarf, but a sports cap.

The National Olympic Committee of Iran (NOC) is said to have assured the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the world association IFSC at a meeting that Rekabi had “no consequences” to fear. Rekabi herself wants to continue her career in the national team. It is unclear whether the Iranian Ministry of Sports will allow this. (sda/dpa)