TEHRAN — Afghanistan’s embassy in Tehran, controlled by the Taliban, on Thursday denied involvement in an assault on an Afghan doctoral student, saying the incident occurred outside the diplomatic mission’s building.
In a statement, the embassy said that the altercation involving Mehr Agha Mosadeq, a political science doctoral student at the University of Tehran, took place “at an internet café near the embassy” and not within the embassy premises.
“The recent incident reported in the media concerns an inappropriate confrontation with an individual that took place outside the embassy, at a café,” the statement read. It added that the embassy condemns “any violent behavior and reiterates its commitment to ethical principles, human dignity, and adherence to the law.”
The embassy did not clarify who was responsible for the alleged assault.
Mosadeq, a native of Salang district in Parwan Province, previously told Amu TV that he was beaten by embassy staff while attempting to renew his passport. He said the incident occurred on April 8, after he presented his documents at the embassy.
Mosadeq claimed that despite having complete and valid documents, he was treated “disrespectfully” and faced “suspicious behavior” from Taliban personnel inside the embassy.
“After I insisted that renewing my passport was my legal right, one of the staff punched me in the face,” Mosadeq said. “They then dragged me into a hallway and kitchen area inside the embassy and assaulted me.”
