The Iranian authorities have issued an arrest warrant for one of Iran’s top-ranked female chess players, Sara Khadem, who competed in an international tournament without wearing a headscarf in December 2022, local media reported.
25-year-old Sara Khadem, also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, made headlines around the world when she appeared to play for a second day— Wednesday, December 28, at the Fide World Rapid and Blitz Chess championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, without a headscarf.
Sarah is currently unable to return to Iran as an arrest warrant awaits her, reported BBC.
She is now living in exile in Southern Spain with her husband and one-year-old son.
Khadim has asked the media not to reveal her location for security reasons.
As per the media reports, Khadem received several phone calls after she appeared without a headscarf, in which people warned her not to return to Iran after the tournament, while others said she should return while promising to “solve her problem.”
Khadem’s relatives and parents, who are in Iran, had also received threats.
Protests in Iran continues
Iran has been rocked by sweeping protests since September 16, over the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran’s morality police.
Her death has since ignited anger over several issues, including the restrictions imposed on personal freedoms and strict rules regarding women’s clothing, as well as the living and economic crisis that Iranians suffer from, not to mention the strict laws imposed by the regime and its political and religious composition in general.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) announced that 529 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of Tuesday, February 14, including 71 children.
At least 19,763 people, including 720 students, were arrested in those protests that took place in 164 cities and towns and 144 universities.
