Last Updated on October 23, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN REPORT
LAHORE (Oct 23): A high-profile investigation into the alleged rape of a foreign national has taken an extraordinary turn, following a dramatic reversal by the complainant and the subsequent arrest of the suspect outside a courtroom.
Diana Rumik qizi Baghiyeva, a citizen of Azerbaijan, has released a video statement forcefully retracting her previous accusations against a Pakistan resident Muhammad Ahmad Tanveer. She now insists he is entirely innocent of the assault and has demanded that the criminal case against him be dropped immediately.
Diana’s statement came on the heels of police action in Lahore, where officers moved swiftly to arrest the accused, Mr Tanveer, directly outside court premises, sparking a separate legal row given that he had been granted interim bail until 27 October.
The retraction
In the video statement, Ms Baghiyeva categorically denied that Tanveer was involved in the alleged attack. She further clarified that he had not stolen her mobile phones, as previously claimed.
Addressing her earlier testimonies, the Azerbaijani national alleged that she had been under severe duress when she first spoke to investigators. “I previously gave statements under pressure,” she stated, asserting that the allegations were fundamentally flawed.”
She adde: “I wish to state clearly that Ahmed Tanveer did not assault me or force himself upon me in any way. On what grounds have the police arrested him? I wanted to appear in court personally to give my statement, but I was told my life was in danger and I was forced to leave Pakistan.“
Diana criticised the treatment she received in Pakistan, saying: “I was denied any opportunity to express myself or make my own decision—they even took my passport away from me. I was made to feel like a criminal being punished and deported from the country. I also forgive Mohsin and Hussain, and I do not want to pursue this matter any further. Please stop using my name for your personal agendas.”
This visual U-turn coincides with official paperwork executed through the Azerbaijani Ministry of Justice. Legal documents—formally apostilled and certified in Baku—confirm that Diana has officially declared she holds “no complaint, claim, or requirement” against Tanveer, effectively seeking to close the case from her home country.
The document, officially classified as an “Application” under registration number 8I-104251, explicitly states that Diana holds “no complaint, claim, or requirement” from Tanveer.
FOREIGN TOURIST GANG-RAPE CASE: 20 detained in midnight raids
While the underlying circumstances or the relationship between the two parties remain unspecified, the declaration serves as an absolute legal release addressed directly to the “authorized bodies of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan”.
What happens next?
With the primary accuser withdrawing her allegations and submitting formal legal releases, the prosecution’s case faces a significant hurdle. However, because rape is a crime against the state under Pakistani law, police and prosecutors must decide whether to independently pursue the charges or submit a formal cancellation report to the magistrate.
Tanveer’s legal team is expected to launch an immediate challenge against his arrest, citing a direct violation of his interim bail orders.
Copyright YeJahan News Network, 2026
