Amir can never be completely certain that Hassan knows Amir witnessed Assef rape Hassan in the alley after the kite tournament. This is because Hassan never directly tells Amir that he knows what Amir did: how he betrayed Hassan and abandoned him in the moment of greatest need.
There are some clues that Amir interprets to mean Hassan knew about Amir's betrayal. Because of his own guilt, Amir plants the watch and money in Hassan's bed to frame him for stealing. Amir is desperate to have Hassan removed from the household so he is not constantly reminded of how he wronged his friend. When questioned by Baba, Hassan takes the blame, though everyone doubts Hassan would do such a thing. In this scene, Amir feels that Hassan must know what he did.
Later, in his adult life, Amir learns from Rahim Khan that Hassan talked to him (Rahim) about the incident. It seems from this conversation that Hassan did know the role Amir played (or didn't play) in the assault. In Hassan's letter to Amir, he seems to have forgiven Amir and remembers their friendship fondly. While the extent of Hassan's knowledge of Amir's actions is a bit of a mystery, there is enough evidence to suggest that he did, indeed, know how Amir wronged him.
Khalid Housseini's The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir and Hassan, two young boys living in the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, Afghanistan. Amir and Hassan's favorite pastime is kite-fighting, which is very popular in their Kabul neighborhood. Hassan is a "kite runner" and retrieves the kites that fall from battle. After Amir wins a local kite-fighting tournament, Hassan goes on to retrieve the last kite fallen to keep as a trophy. When Hassan finds the kite he encounters Assef, a bully who rejects Hassan because he is a Hazara (an ethnic group that Assef considers inferior). After Hassan refuses to hand over the kite, Assef beats and rapes him. Amir witnesses the assault but is too frightened to defend Hassan. Amir also thinks that if he fails to retrieve the kite, his father, whose affection and approval he longs for, won't be as proud of him. This overwhelming guilt leads Amir to distance himself from Hassan.
In an attempt to banish Hassan—who is his best friend but also his servant—Amir tries to frame him for theft. He places a watch and money under his pillow and tells his father that Hassan stole the items. When Hassan is confronted by Amir's father, Baba, he offers us a false confession and admits to stealing the money and watch. In this moment, Amir becomes certain that Hassan knows that he witnessed everything. He knows that Hassan would rather lie than disgrace him in the eyes of his father.
Yes, Hassan knows that Amir witnesses Assef rape him. In chapter 9, Amir receives his birthday gifts and patiently waits for Ali and Hassan to go shopping. When they leave Baba's estate, Amir sneaks into Ali's shack in their backyard and puts some of his birthday money and a watch underneath Hassan's bed in an attempt to frame him. Amir then tells his father that Hassan stole his money and watch, and Baba has everyone sit down to discuss the issue when Ali and Hassan return. During their meeting, Baba directly asks Hassan if he stole Amir's presents and Hassan replies by saying "yes." The moment that Hassan offers his false confession to protect Amir, Amir mentions,
And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew He knew I'd seen everything in that alley, that I'd stood there and done nothing. He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time (Hosseini, 89).
Amir's comment and Hassan's resignation indicate that Hassan is aware that Amir witnessed his rape and refused to intervene. After Hassan admits to stealing Amir's presents, Ali informs Baba that they are moving away to Hazarajat. After Hassan and Ali leave, Amir never sees Hassan again but redeems himself by saving Hassan's son, Sohrab, later in the story.
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