• Iranian Elnaz Rekabi, 33, disobeys Iran’s mandated headscarf dress code.
• She claims her hair “accidentally” fell off during a competition in South Korea.
• Anti-government groups claim she had her family’s villa razed to the ground.

Elnaz Rekabi, an Iranian climber who competed overseas with her hair uncovered, reportedly had her family’s villa demolished.

At the competition in South Korea, Ms. Rekabi, 33, disobeyed Iran’s mandated dress code; nevertheless, she later claimed that her headscarf had “accidentally” fallen off.

Iranian protests have been sparked by opposition to the headscarf, and the climber is being lauded as a hero.

This week, a video featuring sports medals on the ground and a house in ruins began to go viral.

The video shows Elnaz Rekabi’s brother Davood, a star athlete, sobbing.

Despite the fact that it is unclear when the tape was taken, antigovernmental groups accused it of being a form of retaliation against Ms. Rekabi.

The house has since been razed, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, although this was because the family lacked a valid building permit, the news agency claims.

All of this allegedly occurred prior to Ms. Rekabi competing in October without a headscarf.

In Iran, women are required to cover their arms and legs with loose clothing and their hair with a headscarf, or hijab. When they are formally representing Iran in tournaments overseas, female athletes must likewise comply by the clothing code.

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A large crowd greeted Ms. Rekabi at Tehran airport after the competition in South Korea, calling her a “heroine”. She arrived at the airport without a headscarf, covering her hair with a black baseball cap and hoodie.

She wore the same outfit when she met the Iranian minister of sports the following day, raising questions about whether she had been at home during that period.

The source claimed that until she met the minister, Ms. Rekabi was held in a room at the headquarters of the Iranian National Olympic Committee with plainclothes agents present.

“Due to bad timing, and the unanticipated call for me to climb the wall, my head covering inadvertently came off,” it explained.

She wore the same outfit when she met the Iranian minister of sports the following day, raising questions about whether she had been at home during that period.

The source claimed that until she met the minister, Ms. Rekabi was held in a room at the headquarters of the Iranian National Olympic Committee with plainclothes agents present.

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