Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, known as Sara Khadem, an Iranian chess player who relocated to Spain in January, has been awarded Spanish citizenship, as announced by Spain on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old chess player made headlines when she participated in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Kazakhstan in late December 2022 without wearing a hijab, a mandatory requirement under Iran’s strict Islamic dress codes. Her decision led to an arrest warrant being issued against her in Iran.
Mandatory hijab-wearing laws have been a source of contention during the unrest in Iran, particularly after the death of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police in mid-September.
Despite the consequences, Khadem has expressed no regrets about her stand in support of the protest movement against Iran’s clerical leadership.
On Tuesday, the Spanish cabinet approved the decision to grant Khadem Spanish citizenship, citing “special circumstances” surrounding her case, as reported in Spain’s official gazette.
