Iranian Female Martial Art Champ Vanished After Veil-Free Photograph

This photo is the reason an Iranian martial arts champion has been arrested and has not been heard of since by her family.

Fatemeh Azad poses in an undated photo. She was reportedly arrested in Iran. (Newsflash)

It is unclear when the photo was taken, but shortly after it was shared online, she was arrested by agents of the Iranian guard Council (IRGC).

The family of Fatemeh Azad say that the young woman who was the Iranian women’s wushu champion several times has not been heard from since she was seized by security forces at her home almost 3 weeks ago.

Her family said that they had been told not to speak about the fact that she had been taken but after hearing nothing had decided to appeal for international pressure to find out her whereabouts.

She has won top honours in national competitions as both a champion and runner-up competing in the “Traditional Sandai” section. She had also been a student champion.

Fatemeh Azad poses in an undated photo. She was reportedly arrested in Iran. (Newsflash)

Wushu is a martial art that combines elements of many other traditional fighting skills and is the national standard for martial arts in China.

It is believed that she was arrested after she removed her hijab shortly before she was seized.

The government has stepped up its campaign against female athletes who appear in public or compete without the hijab.