The enforcement of mandatory hijab-wearing laws sparked significant tensions during the unrest in Iran. Recently, an Iranian chess player, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, also known as Sara Khadem, obtained Spanish citizenship after moving to Spain in January. She had participated in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Kazakhstan without wearing the mandatory headscarf, which led to an arrest warrant being issued against her in Iran, where strict Islamic dress codes are enforced.
The controversy surrounding mandatory hijab-wearing laws intensified during the Iranian protests when a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini died while in the custody of the morality police in mid-September.
Sara Khadem, now 26 years old, expressed no regrets about her actions, as she stood in solidarity with the protest movement against Iran's clerical leadership. The Spanish cabinet granted her citizenship, considering the special circumstances of her case, as reported by Spain's official gazette on Tuesday.