Afghan journalist, women's rights activist describe fleeing Taliban with help from Spanish reporter

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Afghan journalist, women's rights activist describe final moments in Afghanistan

A female journalist and a women's rights activist, both Afghans who feared the Taliban would kill them for their work, successfully escaped Afghanistan with help from a Spanish reporter.

After safely making it to Spain, Khadija Amin, the journalist, and Massouda Kohistani, the women's rights activist, described their escape from the Taliban-controlled country in an interview with Fox News. Kohistani escaped after being beaten but fears her family still in Afghanistan will be killed for her activities and departure.

Amin, who was an anchor at an Afghan television station before the Taliban takeover, said she had gone to her office before fleeing but was rejected and told to go home. 

"My family was very worried about me," Amin told Fox News. "I received many calls that 'Khadija, why you are talking about Taliban, so anything can happen to you. They will kill you.'"

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"So I afraid, I afraid that I thought, yeah, maybe something will happen, but I said I won't ever be silent because it's my right," she continued.

The same day she was sent home from work for the last time, Amin had an interview with Patricia Gosalvez, a Spanish journalist. Amin had asked her for her help to get out of Afghanistan. 

"So they helped me," Amin told Fox News. "They called to me that ‘please come to airport we are going to help you.’"

"And the Spain police so the forces came to the gate and took me into the airport and safely I came to Spain right now," she continued.

Amin said that even though she is safe now, she's worried about other women in Afghanistan.

"I know they're in a very bad situation," she said. Fox News previously reported on Amin as she attempted to flee the country but withheld her face and name to protect her identity from the Taliban.

Amin is now safely in Spain with Kohistani, the Afghan women's rights activist.

Kohistani also described her final moments in Afghanistan to Fox News. Gosalvez, the Spanish journalist, had also planned to interview Kohistani. Instead, Gonsalvez got her out of the country.

"Before the interview, I went out to the women bakery for the bread," Kohistani told Fox News. "There was one of the [inaudible] man, when I come back to home from the bakery, again he stop and told me a very rude word, which is not acceptable."

Kohistani confronted the man over his language. He beat her in response.

"He beat me, he kick me," Kohistani said. "But on that time, I do not know how I become strong. I box him and I kick him too."

She told Fox News the fight left her hands and feat blackened.

Kohistani returned home but did not tell her family what happened. She said they already feared for her safety because she is an activist. 

"So I tolerate the pain. He beat me too much too hard," she said. 

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Kohistani told Gosalvez that she couldn't do the interview because of the beating. In response, Gonsalvez helped her escape.

Kohistani said she's happy she's now safe in Spain but worries about her family in Afghanistan.

"I am very worried about my family that I left them over there because there is a lot of problem, you know," an emotional Kohistani told Fox News.