An Afghan asylum seeker standing trial in the United Kingdom on charges of raping two 14-year-old girls has denied all allegations during his testimony before the court.
Baktash Soltani, 29, appeared in court on Wednesday with the assistance of an interpreter. He told the jury that he was not fully conscious during the incident in December last year and claimed he experienced what he described as an episode of “uncontrollable sleepiness,” leaving him unable to explain what happened.
Prosecutors allege that the two girls were heavily intoxicated and only partially conscious after consuming alcohol when the defendant sexually assaulted them.
According to the prosecution, Soltani had provided alcoholic drinks to the two girls at his apartment before the alleged offences took place.
The defendant rejected the allegations and told the court that he had met one of the girls approximately three months before the incident. He claimed she had told him she was 18 years old and that they later remained in contact through Snapchat.
Soltani testified that he believed both girls were either 18 or 19 years old at the time of the incident and said he had no reason to think they were minors.
He also told the court that he sought asylum in the United Kingdom in 2022 after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. According to his testimony, he had worked with the British Army in several Afghan provinces for seven years before leaving the country because of security concerns.
The trial is continuing, and no verdict has been reached. The allegations remain before the court, and the defendant has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Under the principles of criminal justice, the charges against the defendant have not been proven unless and until the court reaches a verdict following the completion of the trial.
