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Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Family fears for elderly UK couple detained by Taliban
The family of elderly British couple Peter and Barbie Reynolds, detained for six months without charge in Afghanistan, fears the worst as their health declines. 'I don't know if they're still alive,' said their son, Jonathan Reynolds, who has not spoken to his parents since their last phone call on June 15. 'How would I know if they were no longer alive? Who's going to call me? The Taliban's never called me. Who's going to call? I don't know,' asked Reynolds, one of the couple's four children. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his 76-year-old wife were arrested in February along with Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, who was released in March, and an Afghan translator. The couple were married in Kabul in 1970, and have spent almost two decades living in Afghanistan running educational programs after moving there. They also became official Afghan citizens. Taliban officials have refused to detail why the couple was arrested in February as they were returning to their home in central Bamiyan province. 'They were told by the judge that they were not guilty of any crimes,' said their son. 'So many times we've been told two to three days and then you'll be released ... But it's six months on Saturday,' he added. The couple were first held in a maximum security facility, 'then in underground cells, without daylight, before being transferred' to the intelligence services in Kabul, according to UN experts. In late July, the independent UN human rights experts called for the Taliban to free the pair warning of the 'rapid deterioration' of their physical and mental health, stating that they 'risk irreparable harm or even death.' UN experts shared a voice message from the couple with their son, but he has not been reassured. 'You have to remember their age,' Reynolds, 45, told AFP during a video call from his home in Chicago. 'Are they in danger? Yeah, they're an elderly couple who are unjustly held ... in captivity. They are not free,' he said. 'Their bodies are not used to being put through this, they're being trapped, they're sleeping on a little mattress on the floor,' he said. 'Weak, fragile' The couple's children have set up a website called Free Peter and Barbie to campaign for their release, which counts down the number of days they have been held. Since being detained, Peter Reynolds has suffered two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and left arm, according to the UN experts. 'My dad has had heart attacks ... he has a stent in his heart. He has had skin cancer,' Jonathan Reynolds said. 'So he needs an ECG (electrocardiogram), blood test, EEG (electroencephalogram), CT scans. He needs all of that,' he added. His mother suffers from malnourishment and anemia after months of being 'fed once a day in prison,' her son added. She is 'weak and fragile,' the experts said. The Taliban government's top diplomat Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said the couple had been receiving medical care. 'Their human rights are being respected,' he told a press conference in Kabul. 'They are being provided with medical care. They are in occasional contact with their families.' 'Their case isn't anything serious,' the Taliban interior ministry said in April, adding they hoped it would be 'resolved soon.' The couple run an organization in Afghanistan called Rebuild, which provides educational programs for women and children. 'My parents have never thought about their security and safety,' Reynolds said, it was 'no way to treat an elderly couple who've given the last two decades of their life for the good of Afghanistan.' When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the couple remained in Afghanistan against the advice of the British embassy. Their son recalled the embassy asking them: ''Why are you staying? You're on your own'' His parents had replied: ''How could we leave these people in their darkest hour? We came here because we love these people, and that's what we'll give the rest of our lives to, even if it means we die.''
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Family fears for elderly UK couple held by Taliban
LONDON: The family of elderly British couple Peter and Barbie Reynolds, detained for six months without charge in Afghanistan, fears the worst as their health declines. 'I don't know if they're still alive,' said their son, Jonathan Reynolds, who has not spoken to his parents since their last phone call on June 15. 'How would I know if they were no longer alive? Who's going to call me? The Taliban's never called me. Who's going to call? I don't know,' asked Reynolds, one of the couple's four children. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his 76-year-old wife were arrested in February along with Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, who was released in March, and an Afghan translator. The couple were married in Kabul in 1970, and have spent almost two decades living in Afghanistan running educational programs after moving there. They also became official Afghan citizens. Taliban officials have refused to detail why the couple was arrested in February as they were returning to their home in central Bamiyan province. 'They were told by the judge that they were not guilty of any crimes,' said their son. 'So many times we've been told two to three days and then you'll be released ... But it's six months on Saturday,' he added. The couple were first held in a maximum security facility, 'then in underground cells, without daylight, before being transferred' to the intelligence services in Kabul, according to UN experts. In late July, the independent UN human rights experts called for the Taliban to free the pair warning of the 'rapid deterioration' of their physical and mental health, stating that they 'risk irreparable harm or even death.' UN experts shared a voice message from the couple with their son, but he has not been reassured. 'You have to remember their age,' Reynolds, 45, told AFP during a video call from his home in Chicago. 'Are they in danger? Yeah, they're an elderly couple who are unjustly held ... in captivity. They are not free,' he said. 'Their bodies are not used to being put through this, they're being trapped, they're sleeping on a little mattress on the floor,' he said. The couple's children have set up a website called Free Peter and Barbie to campaign for their release, which counts down the number of days they have been held. Since being detained, Peter Reynolds has suffered two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and left arm, according to the UN experts. 'My dad has had heart attacks ... he has a stent in his heart. He has had skin cancer,' Jonathan Reynolds said. 'So he needs an ECG (electrocardiogram), blood test, EEG (electroencephalogram), CT scans. He needs all of that,' he added. His mother suffers from malnourishment and anaemia after months of being 'fed once a day in prison,' her son added. She is 'weak and fragile,' the experts said. The Taliban government's top diplomat Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said the couple had been receiving medical care. 'Their human rights are being respected,' he told a press conference in Kabul. 'They are being provided with medical care. They are in occasional contact with their families.' 'Their case isn't anything serious,' the Taliban interior ministry said in April, adding they hoped it would be 'resolved soon.' The couple run an organization in Afghanistan called Rebuild, which provides educational programs for women and children. 'My parents have never thought about their security and safety,' Reynolds said, it was 'no way to treat an elderly couple who've given the last two decades of their life for the good of Afghanistan.' When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the couple remained in Afghanistan against the advice of the British embassy. Their son recalled the embassy asking them: ''Why are you staying? You're on your own'.' His parents had replied: ''How could we leave these people in their darkest hour? We came here because we love these people, and that's what we'll give the rest of our lives to, even if it means we die'.'
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Elderly Brit couple held in Afghan jail are receiving medical treatment, Taliban claim after UN warned they could die after 'rapid deterioration' of their health
An elderly British couple held in Afghanistan for over five months are reportedly 'receiving medical care' and are 'in occasional contact with their families'. The update on the couple was given by the Taliban 's foreign minister after UN experts warned that Peter, 80, and Barbie Reynolds, 75, could die in custody. They were arrested on February 1 in Bamiyan province along with an Afghan interpreter and their Chinese-American friend Faye Hall, who has since been released. The pair, who have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and were married in Kabul in 1970, ran a training organisation offering education programmes, including parenting skills courses. At a press conference in Kabul, the minister said: 'All their human rights are being respected. They are being provided with medical care. 'They are in occasional contact with their families.' He added that 'efforts are underway to secure their release, but the process is not complete'. The statement is similar to what was said in April when questions about their release arose. In the UN special rapporteur, Alice Edwards' warning, she said their conditions could lead to 'rapid deterioration in mental and physical health. She also cautioned that they face 'irreparable harm or even death'. Although no charges have been levelled against the pair, they were held in a maximum security prison for several months. They were also detained in underground cells without daylight. They were eventually moved to the Taliban's intelligence headquarters in Kabul. The UN report went into details about Peter's worsening health - he suffers from tremors, eye infections, and needs heart medication after he suffered a stroke in 2023. Barbie is also said to be 'weak and fragile'. She is also anaemic and has numbness in her feet. Their children, who live in the UK and the US, have repeatedly pleaded for their parents' release, saying they fear they may 'die in custody'. Although officials from the UK Foreign Office were allowed to perform a welfare visit, the promise of the couple's quick release by the Taliban government has not materialised. Taliban sources have sometimes described their arrest as a 'misunderstanding' and blamed paperwork issues for their incarceration. However, people in the know have told AFP that authorities had concerns that they owned 'non-Islamic' books. In a rare phone call from prison, Peter, who has both Afghan and British citizenship, said his stay in prison was 'the nearest thing to hell'. He claimed he was locked up alongside murderers and was limited to a single meagre daily meal of bread and chickpeas. Peter also said he sleeps on a mattress on the floor, a situation which is reportedly still happening at his current location.
The Independent
23-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Taliban denies mistreatment of British couple in Afghan prison
The Taliban has denied that the rights of a British couple being held in a prison in Afghanistan are being violated. This comes after claims from the couple's family and the UN that they are in desperate need of healthcare and were 'chained to murderers' in maximum-security facilities. Peter and Barbie Reynolds, both in their 70s, were arrested in early February and taken from their home in central Bamiyan to Kabul, the Afghan capital. The couple run a group that provides education and training programmes. They have been held without charge, their family said. On Monday, human rights experts from the UN called for the couple's release, warning that their health was quickly deteriorating. The experts said the pair were at risk of irreversible harm or death. On Wednesday, at a media briefing in Kabul, the Taliban 's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected those allegations. 'They are in constant contact with their families,' he said. 'Consular services are available. Efforts are underway to secure their release. These steps have not yet been completed. 'Their human rights are being respected. They are being given full access to treatment, contact and accommodation.' Mr Muttaqi did not say what steps were being taken to secure the Reynolds' release. The couple's time in detention has included time in a maximum-security facility and later in underground cells, without sunlight, according to the UN experts. They were then moved to above-ground cells at the General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul. Peter needs heart medication and, during his detention, he has had two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and down his left arm. He also recently collapsed, the experts said. Barbie, meanwhile, suffers from anaemia and remains weak. Officials from the UK Foreign Ministry visited the couple on 17 July, family members said. Peter and Barbie sleep on a mattress on the floor, while Peter's face is red, peeling and bleeding, likely due to the return of skin cancer that urgently needs removing, they said in a statement. 'We, their four adult children, have written privately to the Taliban leadership twice, pleading for them to uphold their beliefs of compassion, mercy, fairness, and human dignity," the children said.
The Independent
23-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Taliban say efforts to release a British couple from Afghan prison not yet complete
The Taliban said Wednesday that efforts to free a British couple from an Afghan prison are not yet complete and denied that their rights were being violated despite concerns from their families and U.N. officials. Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are in their 70s, were arrested in early February after being taken from their home in central Bamiyan province to the capital, Kabul. The husband and wife run an organization that provides education and training programs. Family members in the U.K. have said they are being mistreated and held on undisclosed charges. U.N. human rights experts on Monday called for the couple's release, warning their physical and mental health was deteriorating rapidly and that they were at risk of irreparable harm or even death. The Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected concerns about rights violations. 'They are in constant contact with their families,' Muttaqi told reporters at a media briefing in Kabul. 'Consular services are available. Efforts are underway to secure their release. These steps have not yet been completed. Their human rights are being respected. They are being given full access to treatment, contact and accommodation.' He did not say what steps were being taken to secure their release. According to the U.N. experts, the couple's spell in detention included time in a maximum-security facility and later in underground cells, without sunlight, before being moved to above-ground cells at the General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul. Peter needs heart medication and, during his detention, has had two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and down his left arm. He recently collapsed, the experts added, while Barbie suffers from anaemia and remains weak. Officials from the U.K. Foreign Ministry visited the couple on July 17, family members said. Peter and Barbie have no bed or furniture and sleep on a mattress on the floor, the family said in a statement Sunday. Peter's face is red, peeling and bleeding, likely due to the return of skin cancer that urgently needs removing. 'We, their four adult children, have written privately to the Taliban leadership twice, pleading for them to uphold their beliefs of compassion, mercy, fairness, and human dignity," the children added.
