The family home of Elnaz Rekabi, the Iranian climber who is under house arrest after competing in South Korea without the veil in October, has been destroyed, according to her brother's complaint in a video posted on social networks, to which he has had access Iran Wire, a outlet critical of the Iranian regime.
The Islamic Republic's official judicial news agency, Mizan, reported that the destruction of Davood Rekabi's house, located in Zanjan province, was due to "unauthorized construction and land use" and that the demolition it had taken place months before Rekabi competed in Seoul.
Instead, BBC Iran correspondent Parham Ghobadi says it happened a month ago. And anti-government activists suggest it was a selective demolition. The climber's brother, also a climber and winner of 10 medals, does not give details about the date the demolition took place.
Rekabi, 33, became a symbol of the anti-government movement that has shaken the country since the death of Mahsa Amini, after competing in the Asian Climbing Championships in Seoul without wearing the mandatory hijab required of Republic athletes. Islamic, like the rest of the Iranians who live under the strict moral standards of the ayatollahs' regime. After his appearance, the world fell silent for a few hours, fearing the worst, because his whereabouts were unknown.
The next day, Rekabi reappeared at Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport with his brother and explained to the media that his gesture was an "involuntary" action. Previously, in a post on Instagram, Rekabi explained that in the rush of the competition she forgot to put it on. Some voices of activists believe that his statements were the result of the regime's oppression.
The climber has since lived under house arrest at her father's house, also in Zanjan, where she was prohibited from meeting other athletes or using her mobile phone, according to Iran Wire. In addition, the National Olympic Committee and the Sports Minister threatened Rekabi to "confiscate" her family's land if she left the country, gave interviews to the media, or posted on social media. Since her return, her active Instagram profile has gone silent.
According to Iran Wire and CNN, footage of the demolition recorded by an unidentified man shows a box full of medals on the ground in the garden, the semi-destroyed house and Davood Rekabi crying. According to state media, Davood had been sentenced to pay the equivalent of $5,000 for a "rape" without giving further details.
