Elderly British Couple Freed After Detention in Afghanistan

An elderly British couple detained by the Taliban earlier this year have been released and flown to Doha after months in custody.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbara (“Barbie”), 76, were taken into custody by the Taliban’s interior ministry on 1 February while travelling to their home in Bamyan province, central Afghanistan. In March, they were transferred to a maximum-security prison in Kabul, where they were held without charge.

On Friday, following mediation led by Qatar, the couple were freed and escorted to Kabul Airport, where they departed for Doha. Speaking to Sky News correspondent Cordelia Lynch, Mr Reynolds said simply: “We are just very thankful.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the development, thanking Qatar for its intervention:
“I welcome the release of Peter and Barbara Reynolds from detention in Afghanistan, and I know this long-awaited news will come as a huge relief to them and their family. I want to pay tribute to the vital role played by Qatar, including His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, in securing their freedom.”

Richard Lindsay, the UK’s special envoy to Afghanistan, said the grounds for the couple’s detention remained unclear but confirmed they were “very relieved to be going home and delighted to be reunited with their family.” He added that Britain’s advice against travelling to Afghanistan “remains in place and will remain in place.”

The Taliban foreign ministry later stated the pair had “violated Afghan law” and were released after a court hearing.

Despite their ordeal, Mrs Reynolds told Sky News the couple hoped to return to Afghanistan:
“We’ve been treated very well. We are looking forward to seeing our children. We are Afghan citizens, and we’d like to return if we can.”

She added a final message for friends and family: “God is good, as they say in Afghanistan.”