Two men arrested after anti-Taliban Afghan activist attacked inside Home Office hotel

Independent

14-03-2025

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an anti-Taliban activist inside a Home Office asylum hotel.
Natiq Malikzada, 29, an Afghan national who is a campaigner against Islamic extremism, says he was attacked in the late evening of 13 February in his hotel room by two men.
Mr Malikzada came to the UK in September 2023 on a study visa after he won a place on a prestigious Foreign Office scholarship programme. After the end of his course in October 2024, he claimed asylum in the UK and was housed in Potters International Hotel in Aldershot, Hampshire for over two months.
Mr Malikzada said that after arriving at the hotel he had argued with pro-Taliban asylum seekers living there about women's rights and a campaign he was supporting to boycott the Afghan cricket team.
He said he had been shocked to find that a number of other Afghan asylum seekers living at the hotel openly supported the Taliban. He said he told hotel staff: 'I escaped these people and now I'm housed with them.'
Around ten days before the alleged attack, he said he had received a grant of asylum and was starting to apply for jobs. On the evening of 13 February, he had been chatting with a friend in the hotel and when he came back to his own room, he was reportedly set-upon by two men.
Police were called at 10:55pm on 13 February to a report of an assault at the hotel, which has previously been a target for anti-migrant violence during the summer riots.
In a statement, Hampshire police said: 'It was reported that a man in his 20s had been assaulted and had suffered lacerations to his hand, chest and neck. He was taken to hospital to receive treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
'At this time, it is believed this was an isolated incident and there is no wider risk to the public.
'As part of our enquiries, two men aged 25 and 29, from Aldershot, have been arrested on suspicion of wounding/ inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.
'They have been bailed to locations out of county with conditions, pending further enquiries.'
Mr Malikzada was in hospital for one night and then had to go to adifferent hospital for surgery on his hand.
Mr Malikzada is an outspoken critic of the Taliban on social media and had campaigned for England to boycott their cricket match against Afghanistan in February.
Chief Inspector Gillian Cox, District Commander for Hart and Rushmoor, said: 'I fully understand the concern that this incident will cause within the local community.
'However, I would like to reassure you that at this time, it is being treated as an isolated incident, with no links to any previous incidents in the town centre or at the hotel and there is no perceived threat to the wider community.
'We will keep you all updated on the latest with our investigation as and when we are able to and would kindly ask people to not speculate while our enquiries continue.'