The 22-year-old was the only Iranian to qualify for the Winter Olympics in Beijing last year. Iran has been protesting the leadership in Tehran for months. The protests were triggered by the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in police custody in September. The 22-year-old was arrested for allegedly violating the headscarf rule.
Iranian security forces are cracking down on protesters with all their might. At least 488 people were killed in the crackdown on the protests, according to the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights. The Iranian judiciary carried out four death sentences related to the protests.
Chess grandmaster without headscarf
Iranian chess grandmaster Sara Khadem fled the country in January. The 25-year-old went into exile in Spain with her husband, film director Ardeshir Ahmadi, and their 10-month-old son. Khadem performed without a headscarf at the World Rapid Chess Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in December. This was interpreted by many as a gesture of solidarity with the Iranian protest movement.