Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, Iran's top chess player, won't return to the country after she didn't wear a Hijab during international competition. Iran requires all women to wear head scarfs when traveling abroad. Khademalsharieh opted not to wear a hijab during two world championship appearances this past week. It was viewed as a sign of protest.

Many Iranians have advocated for the right for women to not have to wear head scarfs which is currently outlawed by the government. Demonstrations have taken place throughout the country after Mahsa Amini was killed at the hands of the morality police, which took her into custody after she refused to comply with the law.

Khademalsharieh is ranked No. 17 in the world among women chess players. She declined to speak to the media after the world championship competitions knowing her decision during the events could lead to significant repercussions. Khademalsharieh is moving to southern Spain with her 10-month-old child and husband after they bought a house in the region.

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Khademalsharieh is the latest Iranian athlete to not wear a head scarf during international competition. Dorsa Derakhshani and Mitra Hejazipour were both barred from the Iranian Chess Federation for not following the mandate. Shohreh Bayat, a top referee in the federation, has also not returned to Iran after not wearing a head scarf in 2020 and has lived out of fear for her life in Britain.

Two months ago, as uproar in the country intensified, competitive rock climber Elnaz Rekabi didn't wear a hijab during one of her competitions but said it inadvertently came off. She apologized but there are many who believe she was pressured by the Iranian government to walk back why she didn't wear a hijab.