Iranian chess player moves to Spain after threats for competing without hijab

An Iranian chess player, who competed at a tournament in Kazakhstan at the end of 2022 without wearing a headscarf, has arrived in Spain on January 3 with her husband and child after receiving what a source close to her said were warnings not to return to Iran.

As Chess.Com wrote, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, who competes under the name Sara Khadem, took part in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan without wearing the mandatory hijab under Iran's strict dress code for their representatives.

According to the Daily Mail, an anonymous source said Khadem subsequently received multiple phone calls in which individuals warned her against returning home after the tournament, while others said she should come back, promising to 'solve her problem'.

The source also said that her relatives and parents, who are living Iran, had also received threats, without giving further details.

As the publication reported, the threatening calls from Iran led to the organisers in Kazakhstan deciding to provide security with the cooperation of the local police, resulting in four bodyguards being stationed outside Khadem's hotel room during the tournament.

Iranian officials have not yet commented on this instance, which is not the first of its kind, appearing to be a sign of solidarity for the protesters in Iran that have shook the country's fundamentalist institutions for months.

As the Guardian recalled, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea in October without her mandatory hijab on. She later stated that it had fallen off accidentally, however, it is widely believed that she made those comments under duress.

In November, another Iranian athlete, archer Parmida Ghasemi demonstrated her support for anti-government protests by removing her hijab during an awards ceremony in Tehran. She later also said that she did not notice it falling off.

The national football team refused to sign the national anthem in their first match at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but changed their course of action for the upcoming games after harsh criticism and apparent threats followed from Tehran.