Tehran (AFP) - Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi returned to Iran on Wednesday, according to official media, after participating without a veil in an Asian competition held in South Korea, where dozens of her citizens gathered to welcome her.

In the final competitions on Sunday, Rikabi was satisfied with putting a bandage on the head, in a move that was interpreted as support for the protests that have been taking place in Iran for a month in the wake of the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini, after she was arrested by the morality police on the grounds of not adhering to the strict rules of dress in the Islamic Republic.

Rikabi's move constituted a violation of the dress code that Iranian women must abide by when participating in foreign competitions, including the full head covering.

My passengers, 33, arrived at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran at dawn on Wednesday, according to footage published by Iranian state television.

A videotape published by the reformist "Sharq" newspaper via the Telegram application showed dozens of people gathered outside the access building, cheering and applauding.

They were surrounded by a minibus and a car, in which Rikabi and others from the climbing team are believed to have been aboard.

Earlier, Rakabi appeared inside the airport building, wearing a black jacket and a hat on her head.

After being received by members of her family, she spoke to the official media, while she lowered a medical mask and put it on her face.

"Because of the atmosphere in the finals of the competition and the unexpected invitation for me to start my participation, I got confused with my technical equipment (...) and this made me unaware of the issue of the headscarf that I should have put on," said Rikabi.

"I have returned to Iran safely, in excellent health, and according to the predetermined schedule. I apologize to the people of Iran for the tensions I have created," she added, stressing that she "does not intend to leave the national team."

These statements were similar to what was published on Tuesday on the Rekabi Instagram page, where she apologized in a written text for the "concern" she had caused, and confirmed that her appearance was "unintentional".

On Tuesday, human rights organizations outside Iran expressed concern about Rekabi, following reports that she had lost contact with her after appearing in the competition on Sunday.

However, the Iranian embassy in Seoul denied "all fake news and misinformation related" to Rakabi, adding that she and her team left South Korea on Tuesday.

And a broadcast broadcast published by the International Federation of Climbing Sports showed that Rakabi appeared in the first competition with her head covered with a handkerchief pulled back, but in the next competition to climb a high wall with a rope, she was satisfied with wrapping her head with a band that showed all her hair tied back.

This came as Iran witnessed, since September 16, protests against the background of the death of Amini (22 years old), during which many participating women removed their veils in the streets and educational institutions.

During the recent demonstrations, many male and female athletes expressed their support for the women's demands, and some of them were subjected to measures from the authorities, such as temporary arrest.