Farsi-language media outdoors of Iran warned she might have been pressured to go away early by Iranian officers and will face arrest again house, which Tehran shortly denied.
The demonstrations, drawing school-age kids, oil staff and others to the road in over 100 cities, signify essentially the most severe problem to Iran’s theocracy because the mass protests surrounding its disputed 2009 presidential election.
A later Instagram put up on an account attributed to Rekabi described her not carrying a hijab as “unintentional” although it wasn’t instantly clear whether or not she wrote the put up or what situation she was in on the time.
The Iranian authorities routinely pressures activists at house and overseas, usually airing what rights group describe as coerced confessions on state tv.
Rekabi left Seoul on a Tuesday morning flight, the Iranian Embassy in South Korea mentioned. The BBC’s Persian service, which has in depth contacts inside Iran regardless of being banned from working there, quoted an unnamed “knowledgeable supply” who described Iranian officers as seizing each Rekabi’s cell phone and passport.
BBC Persian additionally mentioned she initially had been scheduled to return on Wednesday, however her flight apparently had been moved up unexpectedly.
In a tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied “all of the faux, false information and disinformation” concerning Rekabi’s departure on Tuesday.
However as a substitute of posting a photograph of her from the Seoul competitors, it posted a picture of her carrying a scarf at a earlier competitors in Moscow, the place she took a bronze medal.
Calls to the Iranian Embassy in Seoul rang unanswered on Tuesday.
Rekabi did not placed on a hijab throughout Sunday’s closing on the Worldwide Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asia Championship, in keeping with the Seoul-based Korea Alpine Federation, the organisers of the occasion.
Federation officers mentioned Rekabi wore a hijab throughout her preliminary appearances on the one-week climbing occasion. She wore only a black headband when competing on Sunday, her darkish hair pulled again in a ponytail; she had a white jersey with Iran’s flag as a brand on it.
The later Instagram put up, written within the first particular person, provided an apology on Rekabi’s behalf. The put up blamed a sudden name for her to climb the wall within the competitors — though footage of the competitors confirmed Rekabi relaxed as she approached and after she competed. It additionally sought to explain her journey again to Iran on Tuesday as being “on schedule”.
Rekabi was on Iran’s 11-member delegation, comprising eight athletes and three coaches, to the occasion, in keeping with the federation.
Federation officers mentioned they weren’t initially conscious of Rekabi competing with out the hijab however regarded into the case after receiving inquires about her.
They mentioned the occasion would not have any guidelines on requiring feminine athletes carrying or not carrying headscarves. Nevertheless, Iranian girls competing overseas underneath the Iranian flag at all times put on the hijab.
“Our understanding is that she is returning to Iran, and we are going to proceed to watch the state of affairs because it develops on her arrival,” the Worldwide Federation of Sport Climbing, which oversaw the occasion, mentioned in an announcement.
“It is very important stress that athletes’ security is paramount for us and we help any efforts to maintain a valued member of our neighborhood protected on this state of affairs.”
The federation mentioned it had been in contact with each Rekabi and Iranian officers, however declined to elaborate on the substance of these calls when reached by The Related Press. The federation additionally declined to debate the Instagram put up attributed to Rekabi and the claims in it.
Afterward Tuesday, South Korea’s Overseas Ministry acknowledged that the Iranian athlete and her group had left the nation, with out elaborating.
Rekabi, 33, has completed on the rostrum thrice within the Asian Championships, taking one silver and two bronze medals for her efforts.
Thus far, human rights teams estimate that greater than 200 folks have been killed within the protests and the violent safety power crackdown that adopted. Iran has not provided a loss of life toll in weeks.
Demonstrations have been seen in additional than 100 cities, in keeping with the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. 1000’s are believed to have been arrested.
Gathering details about the demonstrations stays troublesome, nevertheless. Web entry has been disrupted for weeks by the Iranian authorities.
In the meantime, authorities have detained at the least 40 journalists, in keeping with the Committee to Defend Journalists.
Iranian officers, together with Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly alleged the nation’s international enemies are behind the continued demonstrations, fairly than Iranians angered by Amini’s loss of life and the nation’s different woes.
Iranians have seen their life financial savings evaporate; the nation’s forex, the rial, plummeted and Tehran’s nuclear cope with world powers has been decreased to tatters.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the workplace of the United Nations excessive commissioner for human rights known as for the speedy launch of all these “arbitrarily detained” within the protests.
It additionally criticised the “unabated violent response by safety forces” that has seen even kids reportedly arrested and killed.
“The continued pointless and disproportionate use of power in opposition to protesters should cease,” the assertion mentioned.
“Arresting folks solely for exercising their rights of peaceable meeting and freedom of expression constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty.”
:contrast(5):saturation(1.16)/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fa521a821-8701-47e1-a6c6-ab251c2e75ff "Razzie Awards 2025: Cate Blanchett scores rare nomination during awards season")
