DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s only female Olympic medalist said she defected from the Islamic Republic in a blistering online letter that describes herself as “one of the millions of oppressed women in Iran.”
Taekwondo athlete Kimia Alizadeh posted the letter on Instagram as semiofficial Iranian news agency ISNA said she had fled to the Netherlands. She criticized wearing the mandatory hijab headscarf and accused officials in Iran of sexism and mistreatment.
“Whatever they said, I wore,” Alizadeh wrote in the letter posted Saturday. “Every sentence they ordered, I repeated.”
She described the decision to leave Iran as difficult but necessary.
Bodycam shows NYPD officer shooting man with knife as Mamdani calls for no criminal charges
Georgia GOP Rep Barry Loudermilk to retire, adding to wave of House exits
More than 200 people evaluated in Tennessee after carbon monoxide leak infiltrates university facility
FBI arrests 55 in massive drug ring with alleged China supplier flooding US streets with fentanyl
Hochul primary challenger picks democratic socialist, once arrested for harassment, as running mate
DC Democrats Turn Their Backs on the Clintons: ‘They Bring Nothing But Baggage’
Massive student immigration protest turns violent in downtown LA; dispersal order issued: police
Government lawyer who told judge ‘this job sucks’ sent back to DHS
Democrats say Clintons’ agreement to testify undercuts subpoena push, won’t bring new Epstein answers
Baltimore’s progressive mayor calls reporter ‘racist’ in heated exchange over luxury taxpayer vehicle
Joseph Gordon-Levitt slams Big Tech for sextortion, threats to children while calling for key internet reform
New York subway hearing erupts as MTA boss snaps ‘shut up’ amid grilling over guards letting fare jumpers walk
CBS News Pulls ’60 Minutes’ Episode After Contributor Appears in Epstein Files
Trump Calls for His Administration to Use a ‘Bit of a Softer Touch’ on Immigration Enforcement
Cities Church Attendee Reveals How the Hatred Has Continued After Leftist Church Invasion
There was no immediate reaction from Iranian authorities. ISNA said Alizadeh had been reported injured and unable to compete. Its report suggested Alizadeh might try to compete under another nation’s flag at the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo.
Alizadeh, 21, won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Her defection comes amid unprecedentedly high tensions between Iran and the United States.
In recent years, many Iranian athletes have left their country, citing government pressure. In September, Saeid Mollaei, an Iranian judoka, left the country for Germany. He said Iranian officials had forced him to not compete with Israeli judoka.
Alireza Faghani, an Iranian international soccer referee, also left Iran last year, for Australia.
Story cited here.
