The international press reports that the Iranian chess player will not return to Iran and will settle in Spain
An Iranian chess player arrived in Spain today after being warned not to return to Iran after taking part in an international chess tournament in Kazakhstan without wearing her hijab, according to a person close to her.
Sara Khadem, born in 1997, participated last week in the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Rapid and Blitz Chess tournaments in Almaty without the Islamic headscarf which is mandatory under the country’s strict regulations.
The source, who is close to the chess player and asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said that Khadem had received several phone calls from people warning her not to return to her home country after the tournament, while others urged her to return by pledging that “the problem will be solved”.
The source also said that Khadem’s parents and relatives, who live in Iran, also received threats, but did not elaborate.
Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.
Khadem, who is also known as Sarasadat Khandemalsarieh, arrived in Spain today, according to the source.
He did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Newspapers, including Figaro and El Pais, reported last week that Khadem would not return to Iran and would settle in Spain.
The phone calls led organizers to the decision to provide security for her with the cooperation of Kazakhstani police, with four bodyguards stationed outside the hotel room where Khadem is staying, the source said.
Hadem is ranked 804th in the world, according to the FIDE website.
The website for the December 25-30 event lists her as competing in both tournaments.
The Islamic Republic has accused its foreign rivals of inciting the riots that erupted in Iran three months ago after the death of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish Mahsha Amini, who was arrested by morality police for not wearing her hijab properly.
Mahsha Amini’s death set off a chain reaction in Iran, bringing the authorities to face one of the biggest challenges since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Within a month of Amini’s death, the protest movement that started in her native Iranian Kurdistan has spread across Iran: to schools, universities and even oil refineries.
Laws mandating the wearing of the hijab have been at the center of protests with a number of Iranian athletes competing in events abroad without wearing the Islamic headscarf.
RES-EMP
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
