CNN — Three years after her escape from Iran, chess referee Shohreh Bayat is facing potential ostracism for challenging the governing body of the game and its president, who is a former Russian deputy prime minister, over her choice of clothing at a tournament in October. In 2020, Bayat came under criticism in Iran for not wearing a headscarf during the Women’s World Chess Championship in China and Russia. Despite pressure from the regime, she refused to comply and has since been unable to return home fearing punishment. Now, three years later, Bayat has raised the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) ire by wearing clothes in support of the protests in Iran and Ukraine. Bayat, who now resides in London with her husband, recently officiated at the 2022 Fischer Random World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland, in October. The tournament coincided with protests sweeping through Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in mid-September after being detained for allegedly not abiding by Iran’s conservative dress code, which sparked widespread outrage against the regime. “It reminded me of my own story,” Bayat said. “So I decided to stand up for women’s rights in Iran. During the tournament, I wore a t-shirt with the motto ‘WomanLifeFreedom,’ representing the Iranian people, and I wanted to show solidarity with them.” According to Bayat, a FIDE official unofficially requested that she not wear the t-shirt after the first day. FIDE stated that “arbiters at top events are required to dress appropriately” and claimed that Bayat “disregarded direct instructions to stop wearing slogans or mottos.” Bayat argued that such regulations are not outlined in FIDE’s arbiter handbook, and no dress code was announced for the event in Iceland. Bayat, frustrated by the request, decided to wear the t-shirt again the next day. This time, an official informed her that the request came from FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who messaged her on WhatsApp to ask her not to use official FIDE events for “political purposes.” Bayat, angered by the request, responded and then deleted her emotional reply. She notified Dvorkovich that she would not wear the t-shirt on the following day, though she believed she had not violated any rules. Bayat accused Dvorkovich of breaking FIDE’s rules by attempting to prevent her from standing up for women’s rights in Iran, while FIDE claimed that politics played no role in Dvorkovich’s request. Bayat continued to show her activism by wearing a blue and yellow outfit the next day in support of Ukraine and in memory of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash in Tehran in 2020. Since leaving the tournament, Bayat claims that she has not been invited to another FIDE event, despite being recognized as the best female arbiter in Europe in 2022. Bayat’s name was initially removed from the arbiter commission, but FIDE asserted that she is still eligible to officiate future events. However, Bayat believes that Dvorkovich’s acceptance of criticism from Iran is due to Russia’s ties with the country, citing FIDE’s handling of the Iranian Chess Federation as evidence. When asked whether Dvorkovich was working without pressure from Russian authorities regarding Bayat’s support of the Iranian protests, FIDE expressed confidence in him. Bayat’s activism has garnered support from prominent figures in the chess world, including US grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen’s coach Peter Heine Nielsen. Bayat, who also teaches chess in primary schools, appreciates the support she has received and remains committed to standing up for what she believes is right.