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Elnaz Rekabi: Iranian climber flies home to crowds of supporters Elnaz Rekabi: Crowd greet Iranian climber who broke hijab rule on return
(about 3 hours later)
Watch: Iran rock climber competes without hijabWatch: Iran rock climber competes without hijab
Watch: Iran rock climber competes without hijabWatch: Iran rock climber competes without hijab
A large crowd at Tehran airport greeted an Iranian sport climber considered a "heroine" by many for having competed with her hair uncovered. A large crowd at Tehran airport greeted an Iranian sport climber who competed without a headscarf at a competition in South Korea, calling her a "heroine".
Elnaz Rekabi, 33, defied Iran's strict dress code - but said her hijab had fallen off "inadvertently". Elnaz Rekabi, 33, broke Iran's strict dress code - but later said her hijab had fallen off "inadvertently".
However many are sceptical about the explanation given on her Instagram, believing it was written under duress. Many are sceptical about the reason she gave in an Instagram post and repeated in a state TV interview at the airport, believing it was made under duress.
Iran is currently gripped by protests against compulsory hijab laws and the nation's clerical establishment. Iran is gripped by protests against the hijab laws and its clerical leaders.
Iranian women are required to cover their hair with a hijab and their arms and legs with loose clothing. Female athletes must also abide by the dress code when they are officially representing Iran in competitions abroad. Iranian women are required to cover their hair with a headscarf and their arms and legs with loose clothing. Female athletes must also abide by the rules when they are officially representing Iran in competitions abroad.
Iranian climber 'says hijab fell off accidentally' Ms Rekabi flew in from South Korea before dawn on Wednesday, where she had been competing at the IFSC Asian Championships.
Ms Rekabi flew in from South Korea before dawn on Wednesday, where she had been competing at the Asian Championships. Her family met her at the airport, where she was hugged and handed several bunches of flowers. She covered her hair with a black baseball cap and hoodie.
Her family met her at the airport, where she was hugged and handed several bunches of flowers. Videos on social media show hundreds of supporters outside the terminal clapping and chanting "Elnaz is a heroine" as she arrived.
Videos on social media show hundreds of supporters clapping and chanting "Elnaz is a heroine" as she arrived. At Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport, a crowd chants "Elnaz is a heroine" upon the arrival of Elnaz Rekabi, a female climber who competed without a hijab in Seoul and was later censured and forced into an apology by the Iranian authorities.#مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/RfaDyjRgPf
Ms Rekabi has been hailed as a new symbol of the protests led by women in Iran. State media later broadcast an interview with Ms Rekabi, in which she repeated the explanation she had given in an Instagram post for climbing with her hair uncovered.
Following the release of a video showing her competing without a hair covering, Ms Rekabi's friends said they could not contact her, and they raised concerns over her safety. "I was suddenly and unexpectedly called on to compete while I was at the women's locker room," she said.
On Tuesday a post on her Instagram account appeared, in which she apologised for "getting everybody worried". "I was busy wearing my shoes and fixing my equipment and forgot to wear my hijab, which I should have worn."
"Due to bad timing, and the unanticipated call for me to climb the wall, my head covering inadvertently came off," she explained. In an interview with state media, Elnaz Rekabi said she was feeling "stressed and tense"
She repeated this in a brief interview with state media on arrival in Tehran, adding that she was feeling "tense" about returning home. Ms Rekabi said there had been "some extreme reactions" to the video of her appearance sporting a ponytail, and that she was "feeling stressed and tense".
Where she was taken after the airport is unknown. "Thank goodness, I've returned to Iran in good health and safe. And I apologise to the Iranian people for the confusion and concerns."
BBC Middle East Editor Sebastian Usher says her reappearance in public may allay fears that she might be arrested, but many will want further reassurance. She also denied reports that she had been out of contact with her family and friends, and that she had left South Korea earlier than scheduled.
In the past, female Iranian athletes who competed abroad without wearing a hijab have said they were forced by the authorities to issue similar apologies. Some decided not to go back to Iran. "That didn't happen. We've returned to Iran exactly as planned," she stated.
Ms Rekabi's Instagram post said she was returning to Iran "alongside the team based on the pre-arranged schedule".
BBC Persian's Rana Rahimpour says that to many people the language used in this post looks like it has been written under duress.
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The nationwide protests in Iran were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by morality police in Tehran on 13 September for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. After similar comments were posted on Ms Rekabi's Instagram account on Tuesday afternoon, BBC Persian's Rana Rahimpour said that to many people the language used looked like it had been written under duress.
The police denied reports that she was beaten on the head with a baton and said she suffered a heart attack. Other Iranian sportswomen who have competed abroad without wearing a headscarf in the past have said they came under pressure from Iranian authorities to issue similar apologies, she added. Some of them decided not to go back to Iran.
Many former detainees have also said that they were forced by security forces to make false "confessions" that were aired by Iranian state TV.
Elnaz Rekabi wore a hijab at the indoor world championships in Paris in 2016Elnaz Rekabi wore a hijab at the indoor world championships in Paris in 2016
The Iranian embassy in South Korea strongly denied what it called "all fake news, lies and false information" about her, and said Ms Rekabi had left Seoul for Iran on Tuesday morning. Ms Rekabi was hailed as a new symbol of the anti-government protests led by women in Iran after video of her sporting a ponytail at the Asian Championships on Sunday went viral.
A source told BBC Persian on Monday that Ms Rekabi's passport and mobile phone were confiscated, and that she left her hotel in Seoul two days before her scheduled departure date. Her family and friends lost contact with her after she said she was with an Iranian official. The protests were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by morality police in Tehran on 13 September for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. The police denied reports that she was beaten on the head with a baton and said she suffered a heart attack.
On Monday, a source told BBC Persian that Ms Rekabi's family and friends had lost contact with her after she said she was with an Iranian official. There were also reports that her passport and mobile phone had been confiscated, and that she had left her hotel in Seoul two days early.
The Iranian embassy strongly denied what it called "all fake news, lies and false information" about her, and said Ms Rekabi had left Seoul after the Asian Championships ended.
The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) said it had been in contact with her and the Iranian Climbing Federation, and that it was "trying to establish the facts".The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) said it had been in contact with her and the Iranian Climbing Federation, and that it was "trying to establish the facts".
"It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation," it added. "The IFSC fully support the rights of athletes, their choices, and expression of free speech.""It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation," it added. "The IFSC fully support the rights of athletes, their choices, and expression of free speech."