Taliban denies rescued Canadian hostage’s accusations

KABUL — A Taliban spokesman has rejected as “false and propaganda” the allegations of rescued Canadian hostage Joshua Boyle that his child was murdered and his wife raped during his captivity in Afghanistan.

Zabihuallah Mujahid in a statement Sunday said the accusations against the Taliban are “baseless and false.”

“No one has either intentionally murdered the child of this couple and neither has anyone violated or defiled them,” said the statement.

Mujahid said that during his captivity, Boyle was never separated from his wife, who had a miscarriage.

He added that Boyle was now in the hands of “the enemy” and can be pressured into saying anything.

Boyle and his wife, Caitlan Coleman, and their three children were rescued Wednesday, five years after being abducted while on a backpacking trip in Afghanistan.