Afghan president orders investigation into abuse of female athletes
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 4 December 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghan president orders investigation into abuse of female athletes, 4 December 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5c34a798a.html [accessed 23 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
2018-12-04
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered his attorney general to investigate allegations of sexual abuse of female athletes in Afghanistan.
In a December 4 statement, Ghani said any kind of misconduct against athletes – male or female – is not acceptable.
Britain's Guardian newspaper on November 30 published a report detailing cases of alleged sexual abuse of Afghan female soccer players.
Ghani said the revelations were "shocking to all Afghans."
Late on December 3, the president met with authorities from the Afghan National Olympic Committee, along with male and female athletes, to discuss the situation.
Ghani promised the group that he would "conduct a thorough investigation."
Afghan Attorney General Farid Hamedi said on December 4 that his office had already created a plan for a comprehensive and transparent investigation.
"I would like to assert in front of our athletes, the president, and people of Afghanistan that we will proceed with this investigation transparently, justly, and comprehensively," Hamedi said.
The secretary-general of the Afghanistan Football Federation, Sayed Alireza Aqazada, said the allegations in The Guardian report were "baseless and untrue."
Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and The Guardian
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
