Ex Taliban spokesperson Saeed Khosty accused of raping, torturing minor girl
Elaha Dilwaziri (L) and Qari Saeed Khosty (R). Photo: Aamna News English, Twitter
A minor girl in Afghanistan, Elaha Dilwaziri, a student of Kabul University, has claimed that Qari Saeed Khosty, the former spokesperson of Taliban's Interior Ministry forcibly married, tortured and raped her. Dilwaziri has made the claims in a leaked video that has gone viral on Twitter.
Qari Saeed Khosty, meanwhile, has rejected the claim of rape and cited her 'un-Islamic beliefs' as the reason behind divorcing her. While in the video the girl showed injury marks on her body, Khosty said that he 'didn't hit her'.
What happened: The story came to light on August 30, when a video of Elaha Dilwaziri crying was posted on the Twitter handle of the news agency Aamna News English. In the video, Dilwaziri was seen crying while narrating her ordeal. She accused Khosty of raping and torturing her.
Torture and sexual harassment of a young girl by former spokesman of Taliban's interior ministry
— Aamaj News English (@aamajnews_EN) August 30, 2022
In a video leaked to Aamaj News a young girl claims that former spokesman of Taliban's interior ministry, Saeed Khosty, has tortured, sexually harassed and forced her to marry him. pic.twitter.com/8mdJwLdSBq
After this video, another video of the girl went viral, where Khosty is seen barging into the girl's house with two of his aides.
A new video leaked to Aamaj News verifies the claim of the girl harassed by Taliban former interior ministry spokesman
— Aamaj News English (@aamajnews_EN) August 30, 2022
The video shows that Saeed Khosty and his gunmen go to the house of Elahe, a medico, and when she cannot bear them, they beat her with a shovel. pic.twitter.com/pU0DEczOPX
Khosty's claims: After the videos went viral, Qari Saeed Khosty issued a statement saying that he married the girl at 'her request' and that he had divorced her after finding that she had a 'problem of faith'. He even accused the girl of committing blasphemy by insulting the Quran.
Khosty wrote on Twitter, "6 months ago, I married a girl named Elaha at her request, after that I saw that she has a problem of faith. I tried to correct her beliefs through advice and discussion, but, it didn't work, until she clearly insulted the Holy Quran which is also proven. (sic)"
#وضاحت
— Qari Saeed Khosty (@SaeedKhosty) August 31, 2022
۶میاشتې وړاندې مې د الهه نومې نجلۍ سره د هغې په غوښتنه واده وکړ،وروسته مې ولیدل چې نوموړې دعقیدې،باور مشکل لري. هڅه مې وکړه دنصېحت،بحث له لارې یې عقاید سم شي،مګر نتیجه يې ورنکړه،تر دې چې په واضح ډول یې مقدساتو ته سپکاوی وکړ او د قران کریم توهین یې وکړ چې د هغې ثبوت هم شته
Khosty also said that he didn't hit the girl, and that he has 'legally separated from his wife by giving her divorce'.
After the videos surfaced on Twitter, several people have been slamming both Khosty and the Taliban. Taliban-affiliated accounts on Twitter, meanwhile, have been busy victim-shaming Dilwaziri.
Taliban accounts are victim shaming Ilaha, a medical student who accused a Haqqani Network member Qari Saeed Khosti of rape & forced marriage.
— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) August 31, 2022
Qari denies the allegations but will the “Amirul Momineen” take this as a test case & Sharia court give justice to Ilaha?#Afghanistan
The Taliban has officially not responded to the allegations as of now.
Context: Ever since the US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, women have had a difficult time merely existing in the Taliban-ruled country. Many of the advances that the women of Afghanistan made in the 20 years of no-Taliban rule in between, have totally been wiped out once the Taliban got back in power. As such, the news of the former Interior Ministry Spokesperson of the Taliban having married a minor girl forcibly, torturing her, and raping her has shaken people, even as the Taliban themselves are yet to react to the allegations.