No punishment for climber, says Iran's Olympic chief

Seoul, October 20

The president of Iran’s national Olympic committee claimed Thursday that competitive climber, Elnaz Rekabi, will not be punished or suspended after competing in South Korea over the weekend without wearing her nation’s mandatory headscarf.

Supporters of Rekabi, however, remain worried for the climber as other athletes have been targeted by the government for supporting the weekslong protests rocking Iran. Activists say security forces already have killed over 200 people and arrested thousands in an ongoing crackdown on dissent.

Speaking to the Associated Press in the South Korean capital of Seoul, Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa said there was no reason to take disciplinary measures against Rekabi because not wearing a headscarf, or hijab, was an “unintentional” act on her part.

An Instagram account associated with Rekabi described the decision as “unintentional,” and she did as well after reaching Tehran early Wednesday. She blamed being rushed to compete, though a video of her climb Sunday showed her relaxed and waving to the crowd.