An Iranian rock climber said on Tuesday (October 18) her veil had fallen by mistake while competing in an international competition in South Korea, after she was widely assumed to have expressed support for protests in Iran.
Footage taken of Elnaz Rekabi, 33, had shown her scaling a wall without her head covered during the Asian competition while representing Iran, which has been swept by protests ignited by Mahsa Amini’s death in morality police custody.
In a statement posted on her Instagram account, Elnaz Rekabi said she was on her way back to Iran with the rest of the team.
“Greetings to the dear and honorable compatriots of Iran. I, Elnaz Rekabi, have been a member of the rock climbing team for 20 years. While apologizing for the concerns that were raised about me, I must announce that considering current sensitivities, I encountered a problem with my cover during the final of the Asian Championships held in South Korea due to inappropriate timing and an unexpected call for me to climb the wall. The team and I are currently returning to Iran according to the predetermined schedule.”
Elnaz Rekabi via Instagram
Citing an informed source, BBC Persian had earlier reported that friends had been unable to contact her.
Amini died last month while in the custody of the Islamic Republic’s morality police who detained her for “inappropriate attire”, prompting nationwide protests during which women have removed and burned headscarves.
The statement on Rekabi’s Instagram page said “not wearing her headscarf during the competition in Seoul was unintentional … there was poor scheduling and I was called her to climb unpredictably”.
Iran’s embassy in South Korea, on Twitter, denied reports about her going missing after the competition.
