DailyExpertNews
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The childhood home of Iranian mountaineer Elnaz Rekabi has been demolished, according to the reformist news outlet IranWire, after she gained international notoriety this fall for competing with her head uncovered.
Rekabi competed in South Korea without a hijab in October, just as anti-regime protests swept Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in vice police custody for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly .
Some Iranian protesters saw Rekabi as a symbol of the national uprising calling for more freedoms for women. However, human rights groups feared for her safety when she returned to Tehran.
Footage obtained by DailyExpertNews from IranWire shows a destroyed building and medals on the ground. The man filming the music video describes what happened to the house. The music video also shows Rekabi’s brother, Davood, crying. Davood Rekabi is himself a sport climbing champion with ten gold medals to his name, according to IranWire.
The man filming the footage – whose identity is not known – says off-camera: “This is the result of living in this country. A national champion with kilos of medals for this country. Worked hard to make this country proud. They sprayed him with pepper spray, demolished a 1200 sq ft house and left. What can I say?”
It is not clear when the demolition took place.
DailyExpertNews cannot independently confirm whether Rekabi’s childhood home was destroyed on government orders. Neither the authorities nor the state media have publicly commented on the situation.
Footage of Rekabi wearing a headband with her hair in a ponytail while competing in a competition in Seoul went viral on social media and made international headlines. When she returned to Iran, videos posted on social media appeared to show her being greeted by crowds chanting “Elnaz the hero” at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.
The climber wrote on her Instagram account later that week: “I am endlessly grateful for the support from you, all the people of Iran, the most decent people of the planet, athletes and non-athletes, and all your support in [the] international community.”
Rekabi has suggested – both on her Instagram account and in interviews with state media IRNA – that she only “accidentally” participated without her hijab, which Iran says is mandatory for women representing the country abroad.
However, it is unclear whether Recabi’s comments were made under duress.
