[News Figures] 'Sara Kadem' Who Removed Hijab to Compete in International Tournament and Sought Asylum

'Sara Khadem' is a female chess player from Iran who gained attention last December when she competed without a hijab at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) hosted 'World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship' held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Iran strictly enforces the wearing of hijabs for female players participating in international competitions and severely punishes those who do not comply by arresting and detaining them. When reporters asked Khadem why she did not wear a hijab at that time, she replied, "To support the anti-government protests in Iran."

Sara Kadem.
Photo by Yonhap News

Khadem's courageous statement was widely reported by foreign media, but her safety became at risk due to the possibility of arrest by government authorities or retaliation by Islamic hardliners upon her return. Because of this, after the international competition ended, Khadem sought asylum in Spain with her husband, film director Ardeshir Amadi, and their 10-month-old son, Sam. Born in 1997, Khadem is ranked 804th in the FIDE rankings and 9th in Iran.

In a recent interview with the Spanish daily 'El Pa?s,' Khadem stated, "I wore the hijab only because I was representing Iran in international competitions and was conscious of the cameras," adding, "Because of the hijab, I was not myself and felt uncomfortable, so I decided not to wear it anymore."

In Iran, large-scale anti-government protests erupted after Mahsa Amini (22), a woman who was arrested by the morality police for not wearing her hijab properly in September last year, died under suspicious circumstances. Iranian female athletes such as Elnaz Rekabi, who competed in an international sport climbing competition held in Korea last October, and archer Parmida Ghasemi, among others, joined the anti-government protests by not wearing hijabs during various international competitions.

On the 26th (local time), El Pa?s reported, citing Pilar Llop, the Minister of Justice, that "the Spanish Ministry of Justice granted Spanish nationality and citizenship to Sara Khadem considering her special circumstances."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.