An Afghan couple who arrived within the United States as refugees are suing a marine and his spouse for allegedly abducting their child.
The newly-wed couple had been saved from Kabul and brought to Washington by the marine, Joshua Mast, throughout the chaotic withdrawal of US troops final 12 months.
The child woman had been rescued two years earlier from the rubble of a US Special Forces raid that killed her mother and father and 5 siblings, and had gone to stay with the couple – her cousin and his spouse – after spending months in a US army hospital.
When they arrived within the US in late August 2021, Mr Mast pulled them out of the worldwide arrivals line and led them to an inspecting officer, in keeping with a lawsuit they filed final month.
They had been stunned when Mast offered an Afghan passport for the kid, the couple stated, and so they observed her final title had been modified to Mast.
Unknown to the household, in keeping with paperwork filed with the courtroom, the marine and his spouse, Stephanie, had adopted the kid in a Virginia courtroom, 7,000 miles away.
The couple say that Mr Mast, after brandishing custody papers, took the infant from the couple 5 days after they arrived within the US. They have not seen the teen since.
“After they took her, our tears never stop,” the Afghan girl, who requested to stay nameless, instructed The Associated Press.
“Right now, we are just dead bodies. Our hearts are broken. We have no plans for a future without her. Food has no taste, and sleep gives us no rest.”
‘We acted admirably’
In a federal lawsuit filed in September, the Afghan household accused the Masts of false imprisonment, conspiracy, fraud and assault.
Mr Mast has claimed he and his spouse are the authorized mother and father of the younger woman, who’s now three and a half years outdated, and so they “acted admirably” to save lots of her.
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“Joshua and Stephanie Mast have done nothing but ensure she receives the medical care she requires, at great personal expense and sacrifice, and provide her a loving home,” wrote the Masts’ legal professionals.
The Masts have additionally known as the Afghan household’s claims “outrageous, unmerited attacks” on their integrity, and have argued within the courtroom filings that they’ve labored “to protect the child from physical, mental or emotional harm”.
They have requested a federal decide to dismiss the lawsuit.
The ordeal has drawn in a number of US authorities departments, which have argued the alleged incident might considerably hurt army and international relations.
Source: information.sky.com”