Former British Army translator in Afghanistan raped teen in his taxi

A former translator for the British Army who became a taxi driver after arriving in Scotland from Afghanistan raped a teenage passenger in Edinburgh.

Abdul Nabizada, 35, preyed on his 19-year-old female passenger during on November 13, 2021.

Jurors at the High Court in Edinburgh heard how Nabizada failed to take the female, who can’t be named for legal reasons, back to her home in the city after a night out.

Instead, he took her to a secluded area in the city’s Joppa area and attacked her.

The court heard how the accused detained the girl against her will, seized her mobile phone from her possession before touching her body and struggled with her. He then raped her.

Jurors heard the woman describe her ordeal. She said: “I kept on asking him ‘Please stop it. Please stop touching me. It was horrible.”

Nabiizada denied any wrongdoing. He told jurors about how he came to Scotland after working for the US, Danish and UK militaries in his homeland of Afghanista.

On Tuesday, Jurors returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

Judge John Morris KC heard that he was a first offender and called for a report on Nabizada’s background to be prepared ahead of a sentencing hearing next month.

He added: “Your name will be added to the Sex Offenders Register.”

The story emerged following the end of a three-day-long trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The court heard how Nabizada’s victim originally came from Inverclyde, but came to live in Edinburgh as a student.

She told the court how she had gone on a night out with friends on November 13, 2021, but decided to leave early.

The woman told the court that Nabizada picked her up in Morrison Street in Edinburgh and started driving her.

She told the court how the accused had made her feel uncomfortable during the journey.

She said: “He asked me to have sex with him.

“I said no. I had a boyfriend.”

The woman told the court that Nabizada persisted in asking her to have intercourse.

She added: “He said, ‘Can we have sex?’. He said it would be quick and it would take five minutes. I said no. I had a boyfriend. He kept on apologising.

“He asked more than once.”

She also told jurors about the moment she was raped.

The woman said: “I can remember it being really sore.”

She told the court that following the attack, she ran from Nabizada’s taxi and ran towards some nearby bushes where she hid.

The court heard she later notified a loved one about what had happened.

Nabizada said he came to the UK in 2016 after working as a translator for various Western militaries.

The court heard that he lived in Edinburgh.

He added: “I had the choice of coming to the US, the UK or Denmark. I chose to come to Britain.”

He said he was married and had previously worked as a tailor in his homeland.

He added: “I am a native Farsi speaker. I can speak Dari, Pashto, Urdu, and I understand Arabic.

“I also speak English.”

The court heard that police gathered enough evidence to build a case against him and bring him to justice.

Following the conviction, prosecutor Leanne Cross told the court that the accused had no previous convictions.

Defence lawyer David Taylor judged that, since his client was a first offender, the court was obliged to obtain a background report on Nabizada.

He added: “Mr Nabizada has been made well aware that in the event of conviction that there’s only one sentence which can be imposed and that will be a custodial sentence.”

Judge Morris then remanded the accused in custody and thanked jurors for their service.

Nabizada will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 11, 2026.