An Iranian climber competed without a hijab because it fell off by accident, a post on her Instagram account says – prompting fears that authorities forced her to offer the explanation.

Elnaz Rekabi, 33, was hailed a hero when she competed uncovered at the Asian Games in Seoul amid protests back home over strict dress code rules.

Following Sunday’s competition she went missing, with friends unable to contact her, before resurfacing with the social media post.

‘I apologise about what I did to make you worry,’ the post said. It added that she had been in a rush and her hijab fell off ‘inadvertently’.

Some observers said the language used appeared to have been written under duress. They pointed out that other athletes had reported being made to offer similar apologies after competing without their headscarves at events overseas.

Iran denied speculation that she could face arrest and the Instagram statement said she was heading home ‘alongside the team based on the pre-arranged schedule’.

Her brother was quoted by a pro-state news agency as saying she would ‘explain the details’ at a news conference, and would continue to compete for the Iranian national team.

Ms Rekabi’s appearance at the games came as protests sparked by a woman’s death in custody entered a fifth week.

Mahsa Amini, 22, had been detained by morality police for allegedly failing to wear the hijab correctly.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article