Former Afghan translator for Spanish troops says "nobody should be left behind"

Record ID: 1632332

  • Title: Former Afghan translator for Spanish troops says "nobody should be left behind"
  • Date: 16th August 2021
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) AFGHAN LIVING IN MADRID DARYUOSH MOHAMMADI, 29, FORMER TRANSLATOR FOR SPANISH TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN UNTIL 2014, SAYING: "My family and other families live under serious threat from the insurgents because they know what awaits them." MOHAMMADI HOLDING IMAGE OF SPANISH TROOPS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) AFGHAN LIVING IN MADRID DARYUOSH MOHAMMADI, 29, FORMER TRAN
  • Embargoed: 30th August 2021 16:30
  • Keywords: Afghan Afghanistan Madrid Spain Spanish troops translator
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • City: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Insurgencies
  • Reuters ID: LVA007EQJ5YDJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Daryuosh Mohammadi, a Madrid-based Afghan and former translator for Spanish troops in Kabul, was heartbroken and worried about the future of his family on Monday (August 16) after the Taliban took over the Afghan capital where his mother and sister live.
    "My sister, my family is my life. If they arrest my family I'll have to commit suicide here right now because I can't do anything for them," Mohammadi, 29, told Reuters at his home in Madrid's working class neighbourhood of Vallecas.
    "It breaks my heart when I hear or see news from there saying that the Talibans are searching homes looking for young girls," he added, saying he was especially concerned about his 17-year-old sister, with whom he has been unable to communicate since Sunday (August 15).
    Mohammadi, 29, worked as translator for Spanish troops until 2014, when he got an offer to move to Spain after Madrid withdrew the majority of its troops.
    He studied Hispanic Philology in Kabul and worked for four years and a half for Spain's army.
    "The message to all these people is to keep their spirits up, to hang in there, it is going to end," he said.
    Mohammadi lives in Madrid with his 23-year-old wife Sunita Sarwari, who came to Spain three months ago.
    "It would be good to have Spanish women or women after women protesting for women's rights," said Sarwari.
    Taliban officials have declared the 20-year war over and issued statements aimed at calming the panic that has been building in Kabul as the militants, who ruled from 1996 to 2001, routed the U.S.-backed Afghan army as foreign forces withdrew.
    (Production: Michael Gore, Elena Rodriguez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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