British couple freed after eight months in Taliban custody, flown to Qatar for medical care

A British couple, Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife, Barbie, 76, who spent nearly eight months in Taliban detention in Afghanistan, have been released through Qatari mediation.

The pair, who have lived in Afghanistan for almost two decades, were arrested on February 1 while preparing to leave the country. A Qatari official confirmed they would undergo medical checks in Doha before travelling to the United Kingdom, though their long-term home remains in Bamiyan province.

Taliban authorities claimed the couple had violated Afghan laws and were freed after judicial proceedings, though no details of the alleged offence were ever made public.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who married in Kabul in 1970, had run a charitable training programme in Afghanistan for 18 years. Despite the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, they chose to remain in the country, a decision their family described as rooted in their deep love for Afghanistan.

Their prolonged detention sparked months of lobbying by relatives, who raised alarm over their worsening health. The couple’s son, Jonathan Reynolds, earlier revealed his father had been chained alongside violent criminals and his mother was severely weakened by anaemia and malnutrition. Their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, also disclosed her father had suffered a mini-stroke.

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Just last week, an American woman formerly detained with the couple told the BBC they were “literally dying” in custody and warned time was running out. The UN had similarly cautioned that without urgent medical attention, the couple risked permanent harm.

While the Taliban insisted the couple received proper care and that their rights were respected, relatives painted a harrowing picture of their ordeal.

The UK, which does not recognise the Taliban government, has limited capacity to support its nationals in Afghanistan after closing its embassy in Kabul in 2021.

The couple were formally handed over to the UK’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan before being flown to Qatar on Wednesday.

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