Elnaz Rekabi: The family home of an Iranian athlete was destroyed by officials, according to the media



CNN

Family home of an Iranian rock climber Naz Rikabi It was demolished, according to pro-reform news outlet IranWire, after it rose to international prominence this fall for its rivalry with its exposed head.

Rikabi competed without her hijab in South Korea in October, just as anti-regime protests swept Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police for allegedly not wearing a headscarf properly.

Some Iranian demonstrators saw my stirrup as a symbol of the national uprising demanding more freedoms for women. However, human rights groups expressed concerns for her safety when she returned to Tehran.

Footage obtained by CNN from IranWire shows a destroyed structure and medallions on the ground. The man who filmed the video describes what happened to the house. The video also shows Rekabi’s brother, Daoud, crying. Davoud Rekabi is himself a champion sport climber with 10 gold medals to his name, according to IranWire.

The man filming the footage – whose identity is unknown – says off camera: “This is the result of living in this country. A hero of a country with kilograms of medals for this country. I worked hard to make this country proud. They pepper-sprayed him, demolished a 39-square-meter house and left. What can I do?” say it?”

It is not clear when the demolition took place.

CNN cannot confirm whether the Rekabi family home was destroyed by government order. Neither the authorities nor pro-state media have commented on the situation publicly.

Rakabi had the public's support when she returned to Tehran in October.

Footage of Rickaby wearing a headband and her hair in a ponytail while competing in Seoul went viral on social media and made international headlines. When she returned to Iran, videos posted on social media showed her being greeted by crowds chanting “Elnaz the hero” at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.

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The climber wrote later that week on her Instagram account, “I am endlessly grateful for your support, all the people of Iran, the most decent people in the world, athletes and non-athletes, and all your support in [the] The international community.”

Rekabi suggested—both on her Instagram account and in interviews with state media IRNA—that she only “casually” competed without her hijab, which Iran imposes on women representing the country abroad.

However, it is not clear whether Rekabi’s statements were made under duress.

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