Taliban members are “concerned about Andrew Tate” and “are asking us if he’s free yet,” said Sameera Khan, a former Miss New Jersey-turned Anti-Wake journalist.
Khan said she took part in a “Twitter space with the Afghan Taliban” to “discuss the detention of Andrew Tate,” an American-British influencer who was arrested on December 29 in Romania along with his brother and two Romanian nationals was arrested and charged with human trafficking.
Romanian prosecutors allege the Tate brothers forced six women to produce pornography, with the alleged victims subjected to “acts of physical violence and psychological coercion”. One of those arrested was also charged with rape, although his identity was not disclosed.
Taliban members (Taliban fighters, right) are “concerned” about influencer Andrew Tate (left – appears on English podcast Anything Goes with James), who has been reportedly arrested in Romania on suspicion of human trafficking. Andrew Tate and his brother are accused of forcing six women to produce online pornography. ANYTHING GOES WITH JAMES ENGLISH/GETTY
On Saturday, Khan tweeted: “We are hosting a Twitter section with the Afghan Taliban to discuss the detention of Andrew Tate.
“They’re worried about Andrew Tate and asking us if he’s free yet.
“They say Westerners need Andrew Tate because we’re oppressed by feminists.”
We host a Twitter section with the Afghan Taliban to discuss Andrew Tate’s imprisonment.
They’re worried about Andrew Tate and wondering if he’s free yet.
They say westerners need Andrew Tate because we are oppressed by feminists.
— Sameera Khan (@SameeraKhan) December 31, 2022
In a separate tweet, she added “#FREETOPG” and called for Tate’s release, with “TopG” being a nickname used for the influencer by some of his supporters.
British journalist Otto English tweeted a screenshot from the Twitter section showing some of the participants, adding: “That actually happened.”
The Twitter section was called “Heart Emoji Andrew Tate Heart Emoji, followed by “w/ Taliban.”
In August 2021, the Taliban seized Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, after US troops withdrew after an insurgency that lasted nearly two decades.
Tate said he converted to Islam in November 2021 and discussed his decision on One Islam Productions’ YouTube channel in a video that has been viewed 1.5 million times.
Those who took part in the Twitter section with Khan included a number of users who claim to support the Taliban, some of whom have the flag of the group in her profile picture.
One of the participants was Shahab Levalwho claims to be a “member of the culture commission” of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, based in Kabul.
Newsweek has not been able to verify the exact relationship between self-proclaimed Taliban supporters who participate in the Twitter space and the broader group. The Taliban and Sameera Khan have been asked for comment.
The group now controls Afghanistan and claims to be the country’s legitimate government, calling itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, although this has not been recognized by any country.
American and allied forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, accusing the Taliban of providing sanctuary to al-Qaeda leaders who directed the attack.
Tate, a former professional kickboxer, has been criticized for a number of controversial comments about women, including his 2017 claim that they have to
“must take responsibility” if raped during #MeToo scandal.
According to The Guardian newspaper, Tate discusses in a video how he would react to a woman accusing him of cheating, saying: “Put out the machete, bang her in the face and grab her by the neck. “
Tate, who has repeatedly denied any involvement in human trafficking, was asked to comment.