KABUL, Afghanistan — Contending that her “life isn’t at risk at all,” military officials in Afghanistan have asked that the United States reject the asylum case of Capt. Niloofar Rahmani, an Arkansas-trained officer who is the first female fixed-wing pilot in the Afghan air force.
On Thursday, Rahmani revealed she had applied for asylum this summer, saying she felt unsafe in Afghanistan. For the past 15 months, she has also been training at air bases in Florida and Texas.
Rahmani said her Afghan male colleagues in the air force treated her with contempt and that she felt at risk.
Gen. Mohammad Radmanish, a Defense Ministry spokesman, disputed her claims of being in danger.
“I am sure she lied by saying she was threatened, just to win the asylum case,” Radmanish said Sunday.
“Since Capt. Rahmani’s claim is new, we expect her to change her mind and return to her own country and continue serving as a pilot,” the general said.
The U.S. government has celebrated Rahmani as an example of its success in advancing women’s rights in Afghanistan. In 2015 the State Department honored her with its annual Women of Courage award, and first lady Michelle Obama praised her courage.
In Afghanistan, few supported her decision, and there were worries that her asylum request would affect the process of training Afghan pilots outside the country.