A female Iranian chess player arrived in Spain on Tuesday after she was warned not to return to Iran in case of consequences for competing without a hijab at an international tournament, a source close to her said.

Sara Khadem – also known as Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – took part in last week’s FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Kazakhstan without a hijab – a headscarf mandatory under Iran’s strict dress code.

Iran has been gripped by anti-regime protests since the September killing of Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Tehran’s morality police for wearing her hijab incorrectly. Laws enforcing mandatory hijab-wearing have become a flashpoint during the unrest, with a string of athletes competing overseas showing signs of solidarity with the protest movement.