Iranian Rock Climber Elnaz Rekabi forced to apologies: source

• Elnaz Rekabi, 33, violated Iran’s strict dress code at the competition in South Korea.
• She later claimed her headscarf had fallen off “accidentally”.
• Authorities threatened to seize her family’s property if she did not apologise, a source says.

According to BBC Persian, an Iranian climber who apologised for competing abroad without a headscarf was forced to do so.

Elnaz Rekabi, 33, violated Iran’s strict dress code at the competition in South Korea, but later claimed her headscarf had fallen off “accidentally.”

According to the source, authorities threatened to seize her family’s property if she did not make the statement.

Protests in Iran have been fueled by opposition to the mandatory headscarf.

Women are required to wear a headscarf, or hijab, and to cover their arms and legs with loose clothing. Female athletes must also follow the dress code when representing Iran in international competitions.

On Wednesday, a large crowd greeted Ms Rekabi at Tehran airport, hailing her as a “heroine.” She arrived around 03:30 (00:00 GMT) without a headscarf, wearing a black baseball cap and hoodie over her hair.

She met the Iranian sports minister the next day wearing the same clothes, raising suspicions that she had not been at home during that time.

According to the source, Ms Rekabi was detained in a room at Iran’s National Olympic Committee building by plainclothes agents until she met with the minister.

She is now under “house arrest,” but authorities say she is staying at home because she needs to rest, according to the source.

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