Iranian Rock Climber Returns to Tehran, Potentially Facing Government Coercion

Elnaz Rekabi, the Iranian rock climber who competed in an international competition in Seoul without the headcovering mandatory for her country’s athletes, returned to Tehran today, apologizing for her behavior and meeting with government officials. An Iranian expert said that Rekabi’s conciliatory stance might be the product of Iranian government intimidation, as Tehran works to clamp down on the mass-protest movement sparked by the killing of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police after being accused of not wearing a hijab properly.

Rekabi received a hero’s welcome upon her return to the Iranian capital — but focused on reiterating her previous apology for competing without a hijab. A message posted to her Instagram account claimed that she had done so after being called on to compete unexpectedly, which she confirmed in an interview with Iranian state media after landing, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“I was struggling to put on shoes and with my technical equipment, which made me neglect the hijab that I had to wear, and then I went to climb,” she said, also denying reports that her passport and phone had been confiscated.

American University in Beirut professor Ali Fathollah-Nejad told the Journal that Rekabi’s reiterated apology today was the result of government intimidation.

Rekabi subsequently met, and posed for a picture with, Iran’s minister of sports. She did not wear a hijab and traditional clothing in the meeting, though her hair is covered by a cap and the hood of her jacket.

Hamid Sajjadi, the sports minister, accepted Rekabi’s apology for competing without the hijab, saying that “if occasionally a mistake happens, we should seek to make up for it.”

The International Olympic Committee claimed on Wednesday that the Iranian government provided “clear assurances that Ms. Rekabi will not suffer any consequences and will continue to train and compete.”