Elnaz Rekabi, Iranian Climber, Leaves Her Country After Defying Veil Mandate in 2022. Her departure raises questions about the pressures she faced in Iran.
An act of defiance against the iranian regime
Elnaz Rekabi, an Iranian climber, made history in 2022 when she competed in a climbing competition in South Korea without wearing a veil. This bold act took place amid widespread protests against the Iranian regime, which had intensified following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. The young Kurdish woman had been arrested by the morality police for failing to comply with Iran’s strict dress code, which mandates wearing the veil in public.
During the competition, Elnaz Rekabi, dressed in a vest without a headscarf, showed solidarity with the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement that was shaking Iran. This symbolic gesture turned her into a figure of resistance against the ultra-conservative regime.
On March 13, 2025, her entourage confirmed that Elnaz Rekabi had left Iran. Her brother, Davood, posted a message on Instagram announcing her departure, expressing hope that his sister would return one day. Other media outlets, including Iran International, reported that the climber had moved to Spain. However, the exact details of Rekabi’s departure, including the date and circumstances, remain unknown.
Support from the iranian Olympic Committee
The president of the Iranian Olympic Committee, Mehdi Alinejad, stated that Rekabi had been supported by the institution for two years. According to him, in order to pursue a professional sports career, she had to stay in Iran, and he emphasized that the National Olympic Committee had provided support to the athlete. “She herself will acknowledge this,” he added. However, he tempered his remarks by noting that everyone has the right to choose where they want to live.
In February 2025, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) announced that Elnaz Rekabi had been designated as a “role model athlete” to represent climbing at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in 2026.