Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper) Members of the European Parliament constructed a public initiative in an Open Letter on the topic of condemning Iran’s harsh politics against women that do not hold to Iran’s dress code for female athletes. This action is led by Italian MEP Fabio Massimo Castaldo, followed by other members of the Parliament as a result of conflicting news reports over a female Iranian rock climber, who competed without a hijab at an international competition in South Korea, has been put under house arrest in her native country.
The letter is addressed to Josep Borrell Fontelles the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP)
The athlete called Elnaz Rekabi is heavily present in news articles in Farsi-language media outside Iran warned she may have been put under house arrest.
The decision by Rekabi, multiple medallists in competitions, to forgo the headscarf, or hijab, came as protests sparked by the September 16 death in custody of a 22-year-old woman have entered the fifth week. Mahsa Amini was detained by the country’s morality police over her clothing. The demonstrations, drawing school-age children, oil workers, and others to the street, represent the most serious challenge to Iran’s theocracy since the mass protests surrounding its disputed 2009 presidential election.
The MEPs underline that Rekabi’s case is only the latest in a series of appalling violations of human rights perpetrated by the Iranian authorities following the outburst of protests in the whole country.
Two years ago, an Iranian international chess referee said she had received death threats after a photo circulated that appeared to show her without a hijab at the Women’s World Chess Championship in Shanghai.
Then Shohreh Bayat insisted that she had been wearing a headscarf loosely over her hair at the time, but she subsequently stopped covering her hair and claimed asylum in the UK after being warned that she could face arrest in Iran.
“I had to chose my side because I was asked to write an apology on Instagram and to apologise publicly,” Ms Bayat told the media.
Ms. Bayat has called on the international community to act over the violent crackdown by Iranian authorities in response to nationwide protests against the compulsory hijab laws and the clerical establishment.
In the Open Letter, it is noted the MEPs ask which actions are intended to be taken for ensuring the safety of Rekabi? Which actions can be taken for supporting the Iranian civil society in its claim for individual liberties? And Is there any plan for granting political asylum to those at risk of being detained or killed?
Undersigned
Fabio Massimo Castaldo
Yannik Jadot
Andreas Schieder
Mario Furore
Javier Nart
Cyrus Engerer
Salima Yenbou
Olivier Chastel
Dino Giarrusso
Anne-Sophie Pelletier
Rosa D’Amato
Sabrina Pignedoli
Jean-Christoph Oetjen
Jordi Solé
Ramona-victoria Strugariu
Andrea Cozzolino
Thijs Reuten
Ignazio Corrao
Costas Mavrides
Hilde Vautmans
Dietmar Koster
Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou
Carles Puigdemont
Antoni Comín
Andrzej Halicki
Petra Kammerevert
Maria Rodriguez Ramos
Idoia Villanueva
Stelios Kouloglou
Diana Riba