Daily Times

PARIS: A human rights group called Friday for Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi to be protected after she was reportedly placed under house arrest for competing abroad without a hijab. Rekabi competed last weekend in South Korea without wearing a headscarf, which is mandatory in Iran and a subject of nationwide protests after the death Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the country’s notorious “morality police”. Citing an “informed source”, BBC Persian said Rekabi had been put under pressure to make a “forced confession” after her return Wednesday from the Asian Championships in sports climbing in Seoul. The 33-year-old was given a hero’s welcome on her return to Tehran by supporters who raucously applauded her action, but the source told BBC Persian that she did not go home after arriving at the airport.

“She was held at the national Olympics academy under the watch of plainclothes officers until she met the minister,” it said, referring to Sports Minister Hamid Sajjadi. Rekabi had been threatened with the seizure of 100 million rials ($312,000) worth of her family’s property unless she made the “forced confession”, the source was quoted as saying. On Friday, a New York-based human rights group called on the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) to do more to protect her. IFSC “should engage with rights organisations to protect pro climber #ElnazRekabi and all Iranian athletes”, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said on Twitter. “Don’t take the government in Iran’s word at face value — it has a documented history of detaining, maiming and killing those who oppose it.” Fears had been raised about the fate of Rekabi after friends had reportedly been unable to contact her following the end of her involvement in the competition in Seoul. Human rights groups and activists have repeatedly accused the Islamic republic of coercing people into making statements of contrition on television or social media.