A female Iranian rock climber, who did not wear a hijab at an international competition in South Korea, has returned to Iran as Iranian groups based abroad raised alarms over her fate back home.
Elnaz Rekabi, 33, competed without a hijab during the International Federation of Sport Climbing's Asian Championships in Seoul on Sunday. Videos of her wearing a headband with her hair in a ponytail while competing spread on social media.
In a story posted on Rekabi's Instagram page on Tuesday, the athlete said she was called to climb the wall "unexpectedly" which "unintentionally" created a problem with her hair covering. She reiterated that she had "accidentally" competed without a jihab in an interview with state media IRNA on her arrival in Tehran on Wednesday.
"My sister had a hijab but was wearing a headband and unfortunately some people took advantage of this issue," he said. "It is understood that all members of the Iranian delegation including Elnaz Rekabi have already left Korea after attending the sport event," South Korea's Foreign Affairs Ministry told CNN in a statement.
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