Doha, Sep 20 (UNI) A British couple who were detained by the Taliban for nearly eight months have finally been freed from captivity and reunited with their daughter emotionall, sharing hugs after landing in Qatar.
Peter Reynolds (80) and his wife Barbie (76), who lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, were on their way home when they were stopped on February one, as per a report in BBC.
The couple were released on Friday morning through Qatari mediation, and later landed in Doha where they were met by their daughter Sarah Entwistle. They shared long hugs before walking together towards the airport building.
After medical checks they will travel to the UK, despite their long-term home being in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province.
The Taliban said the pair had broken Afghan laws and were released after judicial proceedings – but has never disclosed the reason for their detention.
Shortly after landing in Doha, Mrs Reynolds said it was “wonderful to be here”. The couple were also seen greeting Qatari and British representatives.
The family expressed their gratitude to the “unwavering support” of the Qatari mediators, as well as the
diplomatic efforts of the UK government and the support of the US and the UN.
Peter and Barbie Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and spent the past 18 years running a charitable training programme that had been approved by local Taliban officials when the armed group reclaimed power in 2021.
They have been described by family as having a lifelong love of Afghanistan, typified by their decision to remain there after the authoritarian regime seized control in August 2021, when many other Westerners left.
Their release follows months of public lobbying by their family, who have described the harrowing conditions of their detention.
The couple’s son, Jonathan Reynolds, said in July that his father had been suffering serious convulsions and his mother was “numb” from anaemia and malnutrition.
Ms Entwistle previously said her father had suffered a mini-stroke, while the UN warned that without medical care the couple were at risk of irreparable harm.
Just six days ago, an American woman who was detained with them and subsequently released told the BBC they had been “literally dying” in prison and that “time is running out”.
A Qatari official told the BBC the couple were moved from Kabul’s central prison to a larger facility with better conditions during the final stage of negotiations over their release.
The official also said the Qatari embassy in Kabul had provided them with medication, access to a doctor and means of communicating with their family while in prison.
Taliban officials maintained they received adequate medical care in prison and their human rights were respected.
The UK does not recognise the Taliban government and closed its embassy in Kabul when the group returned to power.
The Foreign Office says support for British nationals in Afghanistan is therefore “severely limited” and advises against all travel to the country.
