On July 26, Spain announced that an Iranian chess player, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, also known as Sara Khadem, has been granted Spanish citizenship, Reuters reports.
In January, Khadem moved to Spain after she competed in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Kazakhstan without wearing a hijab, which is mandatory under Iran's strict Islamic dress codes. Following her appearance without a headscarf, an arrest warrant was issued against her in Iran.
The mandatory hijab laws in Iran became a significant point of contention during the protests that occurred after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman, while in the custody of the morality police in mid-September.
Despite the repercussions she faced, the 26-year-old Khadem expressed no regrets for her action, which was seen as a gesture of support for the protest movement against Iran's clerical leadership. Considering the unique circumstances of her case, Spain's cabinet approved the granting of citizenship to Khadem, as reported in the official gazette on Tuesday.
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