The parental home of Elnaz Rekabi, the Iranian climber who competed in a foreign competition in October without a hijab, was destroyed last month. The British report that broadcaster BBC and the independent Iranian medium Iranian wire. In the country, demonstrations against the Iranian regime and the strict rules for women – including the mandatory wearing of a hijab – have been taking place for months, including by women who cut their hair and remove headscarves. Hundreds of people have been killed so far due to the regime’s heavy-handed crackdown on protests.
BBC journalist Parham Ghobadi has on Twitter images shared said to have been made by Rekabi’s brother Davood, also a professional climber. He can be heard crying as he shows the devastation of the destroyed house in the northern region of Zanjan. On the floor are hanging boards and a tray with medals won by the Recabis. It is not clear when exactly the images were recorded and who is behind the devastation. Anti-government activists suspect the government’s retaliation, but authorities say the Recabis did not have proper building permits.
Female Iranian athletes are also required to wear a hijab when competing abroad. After the relevant match in South Korea in October, concerns about Rekabi grew. Friends of the climber reported that she was missing and was taken to the Iranian embassy in Seoul. Days later, she arrived in Tehran. She was greeted with cheers at the airport, where a group of people shouted “Elnaz is a heroine”. In the meantime, she had also posted a post on Instagram stating that not wearing the hijab had been a mistake and not a protest. Presumably she posted that post under duress.
The months-long Iranian protests against the strict rules for women were initially a reaction to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She died in September after she was arrested by the vice squad for not wearing her headscarf properly. The Iranian public prosecutor said earlier this week that parliament and the judiciary “reassess the headscarf obligation,” AFP news agency reported. What that assessment will lead to is unknown. Ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi has already spoken out against changing the dress code.
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