British couple held by months concerning the Taliban released from prison

A British couple was released, which was detained for almost eight months by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Peter Reynolds, 80 years old, and his wife Barbie, 76 years old who have lived in the country for almost two decades, were on the way home when they were stopped on February 1.

The couple were released through the Catarot mediation. A Qatar spokesman said they would fly to Qatar for medical checks before going to the UK, despite the fact that in Afghanistan Bamian province in Afghanistan.

The Taliban said the couple had violated Afghan laws and had been released after the court case – but never revealed the reason for their detention.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and held the last 18 years, having conducted a charity program, which was approved by local Taliban officials when the armed group was restored in 2021.

The family described them as a lifelong love for Afghanistan, described by their decision to remain there after the authoritarian regime seized control in August 2021, when many other Westerners left.

Their release stems from the months of public lobbying of their family, which described the conditions of their detention.

Paris’s son Jonathan Reinold told the BBC in July that his father had suffered a serious convulsion and his mother “numb” of anemia and malnutrition.

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

Their couple’s daughter, Sarah Entvistle, had previously stated that her father had suffered a mini-stroke, while the UN warned that without medical care it was at risk of irreparable damage.

Just six days ago an American woman detained with them and subsequently released said BBC They “literally died” in prison, and “time is running out”.

Fay Hall, whom he had been detained for two months, emphasized that the elderly health had quickly deteriorated while in prison.

The Taliban representatives claimed that they had received proper medical care and their human rights were respected.

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

The foreign service states that the support of British citizens in Afghanistan is thus “strongly limited” and advises against all trips to the country.

The Taliban spokesman said that Peter and Barbie Reynolds handed over to the UK’s UK, Peter Reynolds, who was depicted with a couple on board their flight to Qatar.