An Iranian female rock climber who competed without a hijab has been forced to leave the country due to persecution.
Elnaz Rekabi gained international attention in October 2022 when she participated in a championship in South Korea without wearing the mandatory headscarf for women in the Islamic Republic.
Many saw her action as a show of solidarity with the nationwide protests in Iran, which began in September 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.
After returning home, Rekabi disappeared from public view, with reports from Persian-language media outside Iran suggesting she was placed under house arrest and barred from competing internationally.
Her departure from Iran was confirmed this week in an Instagram post by her brother, Davood, who wrote: “I wish this was a better place for you so that missing you like this would not weigh on our hearts.”
Iranian news agency ISNA reported that she had moved to Spain, quoting Iran’s National Olympic Committee head, Mehdi Alinejad, who acknowledged Davood Rekabi’s post.
“If they want to pursue their professional sports career, they should be in Iran. The National Olympic Committee has supported Rekabi for the past two years, and she herself will acknowledge this,” he told reporters on Tuesday. However, he added, “Everyone has the choice of where to live.”
The exact details of when and how Elnaz Rekabi left Iran remain unclear.
Meanwhile, the International Federation for Sport Climbing announced last month that Rekabi has been appointed as the “athlete role model” for sport climbing at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.
Her role was confirmed during a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, with IFSC President Marco Scolaris and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
