British couple freed after months in Taliban prison

The family of a British couple who were detained by the Taliban for nearly eight months say they are “overwhelmed with gratitude and relief” at the couple’s release.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, who lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, were on their way home when they were stopped on 1 February.

The couple were freed on Friday morning through Qatari mediation. A Qatari official said they would fly to Qatar for medical checks before travelling to the UK, despite their long-term home being in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province.

The Taliban said the pair had broken Afghan laws and were released after judicial proceedings – but has never disclosed the reason for their detention.

Their family said it was “a moment of immense joy”, adding in a statement that they were “deeply thankful to everyone who played a role in securing their release”.

“This experience has reminded us of the power of diplomacy, empathy, and international co-operation,” they said.

“While the road to recovery will be long as our parents regain their health and spend time with their family, today is a day of tremendous joy and relief.”

The family paid particular tribute to the “unwavering support” of the Qatari mediators, as well as the diplomatic efforts of the UK government and the support of the US and the UN.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and spent the past 18 years running a charitable training programme that had been approved by local Taliban officials when the armed group reclaimed power in 2021.

They have been described by family as having a lifelong love of Afghanistan, typified by their decision to remain there after the authoritarian regime seized control in August 2021, when many other Westerners left.

Their release follows months of public lobbying by their family, who have described the harrowing conditions of their detention.

The couple’s son, Jonathan Reynolds, said in July that his father had been suffering serious convulsions and his mother was “numb” from anaemia and malnutrition.

“My dad was chained to murderers and criminals,” he said at the time, adding that they had at one point been held in a basement for six weeks without sunlight.

Reacting to the news of their release on Friday, Mr Reynolds told BBC Breakfast: “I cannot wait to put my arms around them and give them a hug.”

Sarah Entwistle, their daughter, previously said her father had suffered a mini-stroke, while the UN warned that without medical care the couple were at risk of irreparable harm.

Just six days ago, an American woman who was detained with them and subsequently released told the BBC they had been “literally dying” in prison and that “time is running out”.

Faye Hall, who was let go two months into her detention, highlighted that the elderly couple’s health had deteriorated rapidly while in prison.

A Qatari official told the BBC the couple were moved from Kabul’s central prison to a larger facility with better conditions during the final stage of negotiations over their release.

The official also said the Qatari embassy in Kabul had provided them with medication, access to a doctor and means of communicating with their family while in prison.

Taliban officials maintained they received adequate medical care in prison and their human rights were respected.

The UK does not recognise the Taliban government and closed its embassy in Kabul when the group returned to power.

The Foreign Office says support for British nationals in Afghanistan is therefore “severely limited” and advises against all travel to the country.

A Taliban official said Peter and Barbie Reynolds were handed over to the UK’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Richard Lindsay, who was pictured with the couple aboard their flight to Qatar.

The UK’s Middle East minister Hamish Falconer said he was relieved that the pair had now been freed, adding: “I look forward to them being reunited with their family soon.”

He said the UK had “worked intensively” to secure their release, while Qatar “played an essential role in this case, for which I am hugely grateful”.