A BRITISH tourist claims he had a holiday fling with a Taliban terrorist while visiting Afghanistan.
Toyosi Osideinde, 30, said they would spend evenings watching Gossip Girl while his lover showed off his guns.
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But after six days and almost £4,000 later, Toyosi claimed his trip ended with machine guns pointed at his head and an interrogation.
The financial adviser from Bath, Somerset, became hooked on “extreme travel” two years ago and has so far visited 69 countries.
After deciding his trips to Iraq, Syria and Belarus were “not enough”, Toyosi plotted his ultimate “dangerous and thrill-seeking” holiday to Afghanistan.
Since US forces withdrew in 2022, Afghanistan has been under the boot of the extremist Taliban regime.
The Foreign Office warns against all travel to the nation and the heightened risk of detention.
Toyosi, who is planning to visit Ukraine next, ignored the advice and flew into Islamabad in Pakistan before driving to Peshawar, on the border of Afghanistan.
The danger tourist claimed he was interviewed by gun-toting Taliban terrorists and was terrified he might be killed.
Eventually, Toyosi was allowed to cross one of the most dangerous borders in the world.
He spent the following days visiting Kabul, Nangarhar, and Bamyan – all while feeling like a “celebrity”.
But Toyosi admitted he was always under the watchful eye of the Taliban who rule the nation with an iron fist.
He told The Sun: “Everywhere you go there’s Taliban. You can’t take a step without the Taliban knowing exactly where you are at every single point in time.
“I was used to this already because it was the same in Syria but this was at a new level.
“At least in Syria, there is protection — in Afghanistan, there is no embassy. If something happens to me, I am on my own, there is nobody to protect me.”
Toyosi spent his time visiting tiny villages and sprawling markets, eating biryani – and also having a fling with a member of the Taliban, he claims.
The terrorist acted as a security guard in Toyosi’s hotel in the capital Kabul – and he said they ended up growing close and hooking up.
Toyosi said: “I ordered some takeaway and he brought it up to my room. I noticed that he kept coming back every five minutes to see how I was.
“At a certain point, I just asked if he wanted to come in and watch a movie. We shared some food and kept on talking. Stuff happened after that and we kept seeing each other every day.”
Toyosi said in every country he visits he uses Grindr to find men to date – with the exceptions of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.
“I was trying to be discreet,” he added.
“You have to be careful. I felt safer with my security guard. We didn’t talk much because he didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Farsi.
LGBTQ+ rights in Afghanistan
IN Afghanistan, LGBTQ+ individuals face severe discrimination, persecution, and violence due to deeply rooted social stigma, cultural conservatism, and strict interpretations of Islamic law.
LGBTQ+ rights in Afghanistan are effectively non-existent, and individuals face extreme risks to their safety and well-being.
Legal status
Same-sex sexual activity is criminalised under Afghan law. Under the country’s interpretation of Sharia law, such acts are considered immoral and can be punishable by imprisonment, flogging, or even death.
There are no anti-discrimination laws or legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in Afghanistan.
They are not recognised as a distinct group requiring rights or safeguards.
There is no legal recognition for transgender individuals, and transitioning is not acknowledged or supported in any legal or social capacity.
Social attitudes
Afghanistan is an extremely conservative society, where LGBTQ+ identities are considered taboo.
Many LGBTQ+ individuals face rejection from their families and communities, forcing them to live in secrecy or flee the country in search of safety.
Taliban rule
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the situation for LGBTQ+ individuals has further deteriorated.
The Taliban’s strict enforcement of Sharia law makes it even more dangerous for LGBTQ+ people to exist openly. Reports have surfaced of individuals being targeted, arrested, or subjected to brutal punishment, including execution.
“In the evenings we would watch Gossip Girl. He would love showing me his guns.”
While Toyosi claimed his short-lived romance was “passionate” he admitted it was never going to be more than a fling.
“We have spoken since I came back but after some time I had to let it go,” he said.
“The moment I left it just didn’t feel right – it was just a fling.”
Before the Taliban uprising, being a gay man in Afghanistan was already dangerous.
Since the terror group – known to enforce extreme Islamic ideals – took over, homosexuality is strictly prohibited and punishable by death.
During his trip, Toyosi said he did not experience any racial or homophobic crime.
He added: “The trip was such an eye-opening experience.
“One of the things that astonished me the most was when I was in a bank, I saw a woman working and wearing makeup.
“I then started seeing more and more women in the streets and in the markets who weren’t covering their faces.
“It turns out that whilst some things about Afghani women are true, like having to draw out of education at a certain age, women are still allowed to do things they were doing before the Taliban takeover.
“You’re kind of like a celebrity — the locals will follow you for miles. I would have people following me for two hours just to get a photo with me.
“Some kids wanted me in their YouTube video. Even in the bank I’d get to skip the queue.
“I was a celebrity, I did not want to leave.”
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After six days in Kabul, Toyosi packed up his bags to cross back into Pakistan.
But he said he was met with an interrogation and guns aimed at his head.
Toyosi added: “I had machine guns pointed at my head, and was interrogated 24/7.
“When you try to leave the country, you are put on a list — you are seen as a ‘terrorist’.
“There are questions are to why you are in the country, and why you want to leave it.”
After he eventually left Afghanistan, Toyosi spent another two days in Pakistan.
“Four officers with heavy machinery followed me every single step and followed me round. I would walk down the street to get some pomegranate juice and they would have to come with me,” he said.
“There were so many points during the trip where I was like: This is it — you made your bed, this was stupid and now it’s time to die.”
Toyosi said he manages to fund his trips by working as a self-employed financial adviser based in Italy.
Most of his meetings take place via online video calls, allowing him to travel during the afternoon after a morning of work.
He said: “I believe in utilising my time — working smart and working hard. That has paid for my travel, which can be really expensive.
“I would bring my suit with me and during my meetings I would wear my suit on the top and shorts on the bottom.”
Toyosi will be getting on a 26-hour bus from Latvia to Ukraine later this month, despite the ongoing war with Russia.
“I have a feeling that if I don’t go now, I might not get the chance to go again,” he said.
He also has plans to move to Georgia next month.
