The Spanish government has revoked the diplomatic immunity of Mohammad Rahim Peerzada, the Taliban’s acting ambassador in Madrid, following allegations of sexual assault and harassment.
Peerzada is accused of using his position to target women, with reports suggesting he drugged and raped one victim.
Three European newspapers—The Daily Telegraph, El País, and Die Welt—reported that Peerzada allegedly used a sedative in one assault. A Madrid court had previously ruled in September that he could not be prosecuted due to his diplomatic immunity.
Peerzada assumed control of the Afghan embassy in Madrid after the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. He later aligned the embassy’s operations with the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry. In October 2023, the embassy announced it was officially coordinating with the Taliban and processing documents through Kabul. Despite this, Spain does not recognise the Taliban government or maintain an embassy in Afghanistan.
After complaints from Afghan residents, the Spanish government withdrew Peerzada’s diplomatic privileges. Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The Telegraph: “This person does not represent any official delegation, is not accredited in Spain, and does not enjoy diplomatic immunity in our country.”
Drugging and Sexual Assault Allegations
On Wednesday, The Telegraph reported that an Afghan woman, identified as Anis, filed a complaint against Peerzada with the Madrid Public Prosecutor’s Office last summer. She accused him of sexual assault.
According to her account, Peerzada met her at an embassy event on International Women’s Day in March 2022 and offered her a job. He later invited her to a bar to discuss the opportunity. She alleged that he spiked her Coca-Cola with an unknown substance, after which her last memory was being taken to a hotel before being dropped off at a train station.
Speaking to Die Welt, she described feeling weak, with blurred vision and an urgent need to sleep. Peerzada has denied the allegations. It remains unclear whether Madrid’s courts will reopen the case or if new charges will be filed.
Attempted Rape Allegations
Die Welt interviewed multiple women who claimed to have been harassed or assaulted by Peerzada. According to El País, another Afghan woman in Spain alleged that Peerzada attempted to rape her.
She said she had initially met him at a restaurant to discuss the situation of 4,000 Afghan refugees in Spain. Later, at his apartment, she claimed he pushed her onto his bed and tried to assault her. Speaking under the alias Simin, she told the Spanish newspaper: “I thought he was going to rape me. I was terrified but tried not to show it. I pushed him away and said, ‘I didn’t come here to have sex with you’.”
According to her, despite rejecting his advances, Peerzada persisted.
Embassy Response: Denial and Threats
Afghanistan International contacted Peerzada for a response, but he did not reply. Hours later, the Afghan embassy in Madrid issued a statement dismissing the allegations as baseless conspiracies.
Without directly addressing the accusations, the statement claimed the women should take their cases to Spanish authorities so the embassy could be held accountable under the law. However, in a threatening tone, it warned that the embassy “reserves the right to restore its reputation” and would pursue legal action against those behind the allegations.
