Afghan Ambassador in EU Country Accused of Rape

A former Afghan ambassador to Spain is being investigated for multiple alleged sexual offenses after several women have come forward with accusations. Spanish authorities have lifted the diplomat’s immunity and requested his extradition to the country for legal proceedings.

The former ambassador, Mohammad Rahim Peerzada, represented Afghanistan in Madrid after the Taliban takeover. According to information from Spanish and German media, at least four women have accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior.

One of the most serious cases involves a 37-year-old Afghan woman living in Germany. She claims that Peerzada drugged and raped her in Madrid in 2022. In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt, the woman says her life has been changed forever by the incident but that she still hopes justice will be served.

Several of the women claim that Peerzada used his diplomatic position to gain trust and establish contact before the assaults occurred. According to the allegations, he allegedly exploited his official status in some cases to approach women who later stated they were subjected to sexual abuse.

Investigations into the ambassador were initially halted because he was covered by diplomatic immunity. However, after increasing media attention and pressure from the public, Spanish authorities decided in March 2025 to revoke his protection, which allowed investigations to resume.

Spanish police have now issued an international arrest warrant. Spain is also working to have the former diplomat extradited to the country. At the end of March 2025, Peerzada was detained by U.S. immigration authorities at Washington Dulles Airport. According to reports, he was using another name at the time. He was later questioned by the FBI regarding the allegations.

I was honored to participate in the first program of Zahra Afghanistan Orchestra, the first all-female orchestra of Afghanistan, at their first concert in Spain. pic.twitter.com/tCdlRA48xN

— Rahim Peerzada (@rahimpeerzada) October 20, 2023

”Much is legal in Europe”

Court documents released during the investigation provide insight into Peerzada’s defense. He has dismissed the accusations as baseless. According to the documents, he is quoted as saying, among other things, that “much is legal in Europe” and denying that he knows one of the women making accusations against him.

The documents also include a Facebook message in which someone confronts him, writing that he raped a woman two and a half years earlier and that the case would become public. The message is now part of the documentation surrounding the case.

Peerzada’s legal representatives have emphasized that no formal criminal charges were filed while he still had diplomatic immunity. The defense therefore argues that the allegations must be examined with great caution. In addition to the sexual offense accusations, Peerzada is also reportedly the subject of corruption allegations in Afghanistan. The scandal has attracted considerable attention and sparked debate about how diplomatic immunity can hinder the investigation of serious crimes.

Denies Crimes

The case has also drawn comparisons with other high-profile cases where powerful individuals have been accused of using drugs to render their victims defenseless before committing sexual assault. The affair has become especially sensitive for the Taliban regime, which appointed Peerzada as ambassador to Spain. At the same time, it has emerged that he also served the previously internationally recognized Afghan republic before the Taliban took power.

The former ambassador denies all allegations. However, the international arrest warrant against him is still active as the Spanish investigation continues.