Where Is Elnaz Rekabi? Fears Over Missing Iranian Climber Who Defied Regime

An Iranian climber who competed overseas without wearing a hijab has disappeared, sparking fears for her safety.

Elnaz Rekabi was filmed taking part in the Asian Championships in Seoul, South Korea, at the weekend, with her hair tied back in a ponytail as she scaled a steep artificial cliff face. The footage went viral across social media, with many celebrating her bravery and apparent defiance of the regime in Iran, where harsh laws make it illegal for women's hair to be visible and "morality police" mete out harsh punishments to those who fail to properly comply.

The athlete's silent protest comes amid wider demonstrations in Iran, which have seen women removing their hijabs in public, with some burning them in a symbolic gesture against oppression.

The protests were sparked after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested and jailed for not covering her hair; she was allegedly beaten and tortured before her death on September 16, although Iranian officials claim she died of a heart attack.

Now there are fears for climber Rekabi, 33, who reportedly went missing immediately after the competition, with friends saying they have been unable to get hold of her since Sunday, according to the BBC World Service.

This week, more worrying developments unfolded amid claims that Rekabi has been bundled back to Iran by authorities. The incident comes after she represented Iran in the championships and made it through to the final, finishing fourth.

BBC World Service reporter Rana Rahimpour, the corporation's Iran specialist, tweeted on Monday: "A source has told the BBC Persian that Elnaz's passport and mobile phone have been confiscated."

She later added: "We have found out that Elnaz Rekabi is on a plane heading to #Tehran, two days earlier than planned. There are concerns about her safety."

Other reports, and Iranian officials, said Rekabi was flown home on Tuesday.

An anti-regime Iranian news site, IranWire, broke a story on Monday alleging that Rekabi had been "tricked" into entering the Iranian embassy in Seoul, where she was detained ready to be flown home to be jailed in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. A number of inmates died when a fire ripped through the prison last week, with gunfire heard from outside.

IranWire claimed that Rekabi was "tricked" into going to the Iranian embassy in Seoul by Iranian climbing officials, who were acting on orders from Iran's Revolutionary Guards. They allegedly promised her safe passage home.

Newsweek has reached out to the Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation for comment.

IranWire said its information had come from an unnamed source, who was was quoted as saying: "Elnaz made her decision to appear without a hijab around a month ago and knew that she was going to compete without the mandatory hijab. She did not seek asylum either, because her husband is in Iran and she wanted to return after the competition. She always makes such bold decisions."

Discussing Rekabi's alleged capture, the source added: "People think that Elnaz will return with the team on Wednesday, but she is supposed to be returned to Iran a day earlier. We hope she can rescue herself at Seoul airport." The plan was reportedly designed to prevent crowds from gathering outside the airport.

Sources at Iran's Imam Khomeini International Airport reportedly told the website that the athlete would be transferred directly from the airport to Evin Prison.

But Seoul's Iranian embassy appeared to address such allegations, dismissing them as "false news" and insisting that Rekabi had traveled back to Iran with the rest of her teammates. The embassy tweeted on Tuesday: "Ms. Elnaz REKABI, departed from Seoul to Iran, early morning of October 18, 2022, along with the other members of the Team. The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in South Korea strongly denies all the fake, false news and disinformation regarding Ms. Elnaz REKABI."

Newsweek has reached out to the Iranian embassy in Seoul for comment.