The Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday confirmed the case against First Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum has been handed over to court.

Charges were brought against Dostum after claims were lodged by his rival Ahmad Eshchi late last year that he had been kidnapped, raped and tortured by Dostum’s guards but on the orders of the first vice president.

This announcement comes just hours after U.S ambassador to Afghanistan Hugo Llorens stated charges of sexual abuse and assault against Dostum “are very serious” and called on Afghanistan’s legal and judicial institutions to investigate the matter “in a fair and transparent manner”.  
 
The U.S envoy said his country fully supports the Afghan legal and judicial institutions in their efforts for a transparent investigation into the case.
 
“The allegations against the first vice president including charges of rape and assault are extremely serious and warrant close legal review by the attorney general and other judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Llorens.  

However, Dostum left Afghanistan almost two months ago for Turkey, citing ill health as the reason.