The return of ski racer Atefeh Ahmadi to Iran is currently causing a stir. Three years ago, Ahmadi fled to Germany and received asylum here. The fact that she has now returned to her homeland is seen as a success for the regime in Tehran, which is specifically wooing prominent athletes and artists to leave their exile.
Atefeh Ahmadi is considered Iran’s best skier. The now 24-year-old athlete has won medals at Asian championships and represented Iran at world championships and took part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Shortly afterwards she left her homeland for Germany and was part of the international refugee team.
Ahmadi called for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic
“I left Iran because of the gender and other discrimination in sports that is very evident there”Ahmadi explains her escape two years ago on the sidelines of a political event in Dortmund to the exile broadcaster “Iran International“. She left no doubt about her attitude towards the regime in Tehran at the time: “This event can perhaps make our voice louder and show our demand for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic more clearly. If we stick together and support each other, we can express our concerns much more strongly.”
Her return to Iran is all the more surprising. In one Instagram–post She declared a few days ago that she had returned to Iran with the support of the Iranian head of state Ali Khamenei. A little later she appears in an interview with the state news agency Fars – in strict Islamic clothing and a headscarf.
She regrets going to Germany, she says there: “I got messages like: ‘Do you want to come to Germany? Come, we’ll help you, we’ll support you. Everything is great here. They’re laying out the red carpet for you. You can train with the national team again tomorrow – with the German team.’ Then I thought: Wowif I go there it will be great. I can have a good life, especially in my sport. But unfortunately it wasn’t like that.”
According to information from Ahmadi’s environment, she traveled to Athens in November and then returned directly with the support of Iranian authorities. This cannot yet be confirmed independently. Also their motives in the
Return to Iran remains unclear.
Return propaganda from Iran
The Iranian government has been making concerted efforts for some time to encourage prominent athletes and artists living in exile to return. This is confirmed by an athlete from the refugee team who was approached and wishes to remain anonymous.
According to political scientist and Iran expert Ali Fathollah-Nejad, the regime is trying to use such repatriation operations to polish up its damaged image at home and abroad: “These are two groups that traditionally have great prestige within Iranian society and this promises – if one or the other returns – a signal to Iranian society along the lines of: ‘Look, if even such celebrities, who certainly have opportunities for advancement and development in the West, decide to come back to Iran, then the conditions here are a) not that bad and b) even much better than in the West.'”
Reactions from the sports sector
Iranian athletes in Germany are now reacting to Ahmadi’s decision with incomprehension. Reyhane Amro, former national kayak and canoe polo player from Düsseldorf, says: “I cannot ignore the behavior of Atefeh Ahmadi, the athlete and national hero of our country. If someone leaves his country to live a better life and then returns after a short time and supports the corrupt system of the Islamic Republic, that is a contradiction for me.”
Vahid Sarlak, judo coach of the Olympic refugee team from Mönchengladbach, also criticizes Ahmadi’s move: “Anyone who applies for asylum is declaring that their life is in danger in their country of origin. A later return therefore seems contradictory. Such cases undermine trust in the refugee team and harm those who seek protection for legitimate reasons.”
Reza Jafari from Bergisch Gladbach, a former member of the Iranian national ski team and now a ski instructor in Germany, knows Ahmadi personally. “Her return surprised me. She actually seemed happy with her life here. That’s why this decision is unexpected for me – especially in a system in which no one returns without clear guarantees”he says.
DOSB knew nothing about Ahmadi’s return
Athletes on the refugee team receive scholarships from the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), around 1,200 euros per month. According to information from those close to Ahmadi, she also benefited from it. The DOSB was surprised at Sportschau’s request. Apparently they didn’t know anything about Ahmadi’s return to Iran and initially didn’t want to comment.
Atefeh Ahmadi himself declined an interview with the sports show. Your reason: “I don’t talk to foreign journalists.”