Report: Mullahs Put Iranian Athlete Who Competed Without Hijab Under House Arrest

Elnaz Rekabi
AFP via Getty Images
Warner Todd Huston

Despite previous claims that she would face no punishment, a report says that Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi has now been put under house arrest because she recently competed without wearing a hijab head covering.

Climber Elnaz Rekabi raised eyebrows earlier this month when she was seen competing at a tournament in South Korea with her black hair in a ponytail but without the head covering required for women by her government.

Almost immediately after the competition, Rekabi disappeared from public view. However, days later, she reappeared, saying that she was facing no punishment but also insisting that she was not making any sort of political statement by not wearing a sports hijab while competing.

Despite her claim that being seen without a hijab was an accident and not a planned statement, she was received with a hero’s welcome when she returned to Iran.

Now, it appears that Rebaki is, indeed, facing some government retaliation for eschewing the hijab. For one, her phone was confiscated, and for another, she has been tightly under wraps by the government.

When she returned to Iran, the government said Rekabi and members of her family were “guests” at Iran’s state-run Olympic committee hotel. It was not reported whether she was offered a choice in the matter.

The climber’s brother was also arrested by the terror organization the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on a complaint filed by Iran’s Olympic committee.

Lisa Daftari, the editor-in-chief of the Foreign Desk, told Fox Digital that “The Islamic Republic is set on making an example out of this act of courage. They want the rest of the Iranian population to know the serious punishments for protesting or disrespecting the tenants of their theocracy. But, for the last five weeks, brave Iranian women and men have displayed acts of courage to demonstrate their disenchantment with this government.”

“This young woman used her platform as a well-known athlete on the global stage to be a representative of Iranian women fighting for their freedom. And now, we still don’t know what she or her brother’s fate will be,” Daftari added.

The government in Tehran continues to face pressure from activists protesting an increased number of human rights abuses.

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