After competing without hijab, Iranian chess player heads to Spain in wake of threats

The Iranian chess player arrived in Spain on Tuesday after receiving what sources close to him said was a warning against returning to Iran for competing without a headscarf in an international tournament in Kazakhstan.

Sara Khadem, born in 1997, took part in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship last week in Almaty without a headscarf – the headscarf is compulsory under Iran’s strict dress code.

The source, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said Khadem later received several calls where people warned him not to go home after the tournament, while others said he should return, promising to “finish him.” issue.”

The source also said that Khadem’s relatives and parents, who are in Iran, also received threats, without giving further details.

Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.

Khadem, who is also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, arrived in Spain on Tuesday, the source said.

He has not responded to a Reuters request for comment. Newspapers including Le Figaro and El Pais reported last week that Khadem would not return to Iran and moved to Spain.

The call prompted organizers to decide to provide security in cooperation with the Kazakh police, prompting four guards to be stationed outside Khadem’s hotel room, the source said.

The law of wearing hijab is a flashpoint

Iran has been swept by demonstrations against the country’s clerical leadership since mid-September, when a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in the custody of morality police who detained her for “improper clothing.”

The law making the headscarf compulsory has been a flashpoint during the unrest, with a string of sportswomen competing abroad appearing without headscarves in public.

Khadem is ranked 804th in the world, according to the International Chess Federation website. The website for the Dec. 25-30 event lists them as participants in the speed and blitz competitions.

The protests are one of the boldest challenges to Iran’s leadership since the 1979 revolution and have drawn Iranians from all walks of life.

Women played a prominent role, removing and in some cases burning their hijabs, while protesters took heart from what they saw as support for both female and male Iranian athletes.