Iranian International chess player, 25-year-old Sara Khadem, never imagined that exile would be the punishment for playing without her headscarf.
She did this to support the protest movement in Iran.
However, she can no longer return to Iran because arrest papers are waiting for her.
As a result, she now lives in exile in southern Spain, with her husband and one-year-old son.
Speaking with the BBC, she pleaded to not have her precise location revealed.
Sara worries that her family may face several repercussions even as they are thousands of miles away from Iran.
Laws in Iran bind that women must always wear headscarves in public, even when abroad.
However, following the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, many women and girls are refusing to wear their scarves.
Amini was arrested for dressing ‘indecently’ and she died while in custody sparking protests across the country.
Why Did Sara Choose To Play Without Headscarf?
Sara Khadem said her decision to play in the tournament in Kazakhstan in December last year without her headscarf, had a deep meaning.
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According to her, the contestants only wore them in front of the cameras, and she felt that was hypocritical.
Acknowledging the sacrifices women and girls on the streets of Iran are making, some of them risking their lives, she says “this is the least I could do”.
Furthermore, she had considered joining the demonstration but her son held her back and she decided to use her influence in other ways.
Sara Khadem has been playing chess competitively since she was about eight years old.
Her Husband And Family
“I miss my family, but I would not say I regret the decision. I still represent Iran, and I am Iranian, and the people of Iran still see me as Iranian,” she said, concerning her exile.
Her husband, Ardeshir Ahmadi, is a film director and internet show presenter.
He once also released a documentary film about hip hop, which resulted in him being beaten and imprisoned for three months.
Her husband has had the direct experience of being on the wrong side of the Islamic Republic and they jointly decided their exile.
Fortunately, the chess player has been able to stay in Spain because of the golden visa rule, which allows anyone who buys a property valued at half a million euros (£442,000; $536,000) to gain residency.
