Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
KABUL — Fears are growing for the lives of a British couple, Barbie Reynolds (76) and Peter Reynolds (80), who have been held without charge by the Taliban for more than five months in Afghanistan. Their four adult children, based in the UK and the United States, have made a public and urgent appeal for their release, warning that their elderly parents may “die in custody” if action is not taken immediately.
The couple were arrested by Taliban authorities on February 1, 2025, as they travelled to their home in Bamiyan province, central Afghanistan, where they had lived for nearly two decades. Known in the region for their humanitarian and educational work—including training local teachers and supporting rural schools—the couple have reportedly been detained under harsh and isolating conditions, including being held in Pul-e-Charkhi maximum-security prison and, more recently, in underground cells.
Despite their long-standing commitment to Afghanistan and its people, the couple have not been formally charged or granted any legal process. Their children say both are in poor and declining health: Peter suffers from heart issues and has reportedly experienced a possible stroke, while Barbie is battling anemia and severe fatigue. Neither has received adequate medical attention.
“This is another urgent plea to the Taliban to release our parents before it is too late,” the family said in a statement. “They dedicated 18 years of their lives to helping Afghans rebuild after decades of war. It is unconscionable that they now risk dying alone in a cell without having even been charged.”
The United Nations has also raised alarms. In a statement last week, a group of UN special rapporteurs said they were “gravely concerned” about the couple’s wellbeing and called for their immediate release on humanitarian grounds, citing violations of international law and the Taliban’s obligation to treat all detainees with dignity and fairness.
British authorities have said they are working “through all available diplomatic channels,” though the UK has no official presence in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Human rights groups have also urged international pressure on the Taliban to avoid what could become a humanitarian tragedy that further isolates the regime.
As the Taliban continues to seek international legitimacy, critics warn that holding two elderly foreign nationals without legal basis could further damage their standing—and deepen concerns over Afghanistan’s deteriorating human rights landscape under Taliban rule.
For now, the Reynolds children can only wait and hope that global pressure—and humanitarian decency—will spare their parents from becoming victims of a broken system.
