ヒジャブ非着用のイラン選手帰国　空港で「英雄」の声援受ける

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】韓国で行われたスポーツクライミングの大会で、女性の髪を隠すスカーフ「ヒジャブ」を着用せずに出場したイラン女子代表のエルナズ・レカビ選手が１９日に帰国し、空港で支持者から「英雄」として迎えられた。（写真は韓国ソウルで開かれたスポーツクライミングのアジア選手権に出場したイランのエルナズ・レカビ選手。国際スポーツクライミング連盟提供）
　スポーツ選手を含むすべての女性にヒジャブ着用を義務付けているイランでは、服装規定違反の疑いで逮捕されたマフサ・アミニさんの死をめぐる女性主導のデモが１か月以上継続している。そうした中、ヒジャブを着用せず試合に臨んだレカビ選手は、当局の怒りを買ったとみられている。
　レカビ選手は帰国に先立ち、自身のインスタグラムアカウントへの投稿で、ヒジャブを着用しなかったのは意図的ではなかったとして謝罪。首都テヘランのイマーム・ホメイニ国際空港に到着した際も、同様の説明を繰り返した。だが活動家は、こうしたコメントがイラン当局からの圧力を受けて出されたものであると懸念している。
　空港の外にはレカビ選手の支持者が多数集まり、「エルナズは英雄だ」や「よくやったエルナズ」との声援や拍手を送ったり、スマートフォンでその瞬間を撮影したりした。同選手を乗せていると思われる車が空港を去る際にも声援と拍手は続いた。中にはヒジャブを着用していない女性もいた。
　米ニューヨークに拠点を置く人権団体イラン人権センター（ＣＨＲＩ）は、レカビ選手が「英雄の歓迎」を受けたとする一方で、「身の安全をめぐる懸念は残っている」と指摘している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/10/20-14:20）

A cheering crowd welcomed home Iranian sports climber Elnaz Rekabi at a Tehran airport Wednesday, after she competed in South Korea without a hijab, media in the Islamic republic reported.
Rekabi wore only a headband during the Asian Championships in Seoul on Sunday, in what was seen by some a gesture of solidarity with month-long protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest for allegedly violating the Islamic dress rules.
The move was a breach of the Islamic republic's mandatory dress rules of compulsory headscarf for women which also apply to all female athletes when competing abroad.
Rekabi, 33, was seen arriving at Imam Khomeini International Airport early on Wednesday, in a video broadcast by state news agency IRNA.
Dozens of people welcomed her, cheering and clapping loudly as she emerged outside, according to a video posted online by the reformist Shargh newspaper.
They surrounded a white van and car with her and other members of her team apparently on board.
Dressed in a black hoodie and baseball cap, Rekabi was greeted by family members, before addressing state media with a mask pulled down on her face.
Due to the atmosphere prevailing in the finals of the competition and the unexpected call for me to start my run, I got tangled with my technical equipment and... that caused me to remain unaware of the hijab that I should have observed, she said.
I returned to Iran peacefully, in perfect health and according to the predetermined plan. I apologise to the people of Iran because of the tensions created, she said, adding she had no plan to say goodbye to the national team.
Her comments were similar to a statement she gave Tuesday on Instagram, in which she apologsied for concerns caused and insisted her bare-headed appearance had been unintentional.
Rights groups outside of Iran had expressed concerns over her situation following reports her friends had been unable to contact her.
The Iranian embassy in Seoul, however, issued a statement to AFP denying all the fake, false news and disinformation regarding her situation and adding Rekabi had left South Korea along with her teammates on Tuesday.
In the initial bouldering discipline her head was covered with a bandana but in the later lead climbing, scaling a high wall with a rope, she wore only a headband, the stream posted by the International Federation of Sport Climbing showed.
It came as Iran is gripped by protests over the death of 22-year-old Amini, with many women taking part in the demonstrations, removing their head coverings on the streets or at universities and schools.
The street violence has led to dozens of deaths, mostly among protesters but also among the security forces, and hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested.