Many people greeted Rekabi at the Tehran Airport after the competition, called her “heroine.” She arrived at the airport wearing a black baseball cap and hoodie. The following day she met Iran’s sports minister in the same outfit, raising suspicions that she had not returned home. One source said Rekabi was being held in the office of the Iranian National Olympic Committee guarded by plainclothes security officers.
The day before returning to Iran, Rekabi posted an apology on her Instagram account, saying she was sorry for “making everyone worry.”
Read: Iranian shot dead for celebrating country’s football team defeat in World Cup
However, the source said that authorities threatened to confiscate her family’s property if she did not make the statement. Meanwhile, Mitra Hajjar, a prominent Iranian film actress, has reportedly been released on bail after being arrested by Iranian authorities seeking to stem the growing anti-government protests.
Hajjar previously denounced the execution of activist Ruhollah Zam, who made a documentary on mass demonstrations in 2019. (rr)