Peter Reynolds and a family member celebrate his and his wife's release after being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Photo / Karim Jaafar, AFP
The family of an elderly British couple held prisoner by the Taliban expressed “immense joy” at their release.
Barbie Reynolds, 76, and her husband Peter, 80, were detained by Afghanistan’s interior ministry on February 1 on dubious charges.
They had lived in the country for 18 years, running education programmes, before being taken into custody without explanation. The UN said last month they were being held in degrading, inhumane conditions.
However, after a diplomatic effort to secure their release, the couple took off from Kabul airport on Friday morning (local time).
As she and her husband waited to board the flight, Reynolds said: “God is good, as they say in Afghanistan.”
The couple’s daughter, Sarah Entwistle, was in Doha to welcome her parents, who waved as they stepped off the plane. She spoke to the Telegraph as the plane took off, saying: “They are about to have wheels up from Kabul.”
The family said: “We are overwhelmed with gratitude and relief to share that our parents, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, have been released after seven months and 21 days in detention by the Taliban.
“This is a moment of immense joy for our family, and we are deeply thankful to everyone who played a role in securing their release.”
The release was facilitated through Qatari mediation and the family extended their “heartfelt appreciation to His Highness the Amir of Qatar for his leadership and compassion”, singling out diplomats Mohammed Al Khulaifi and Mirdef Al Qashouti for their “tireless diplomatic efforts and unwavering support throughout this ordeal”.
The family also thanked the British Government for “ensuring that our parents had access to essential medication during their detention and upon release,” as well as the US Government and UN Special Rapporteurs.
“This experience has reminded us of the power of diplomacy, empathy, and international co-operation,” the family said. “While the road to recovery will be long as our parents regain their health and spend time with their family, today is a day of tremendous joy and relief.”
Sir Keir Starmer said: “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.”
Taliban’s foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi also confirmed to the Telegraph that the couple were on their way to Qatar despite having “violated Afghanistan’s laws”.
The Taliban had claimed the couple were detained for travelling on fake passports.
The Telegraph has subsequently learnt, however, that they were victims of a deepening power struggle within the Islamist regime.
Months after their arrest, the couple, who were held with Faye Hall, a Chinese-American friend, were transported to an underground cell in the Taliban’s intelligence headquarters. They were later sent to Pul-e-Charkhi, a maximum security prison in Kabul.
Their detention was ordered by a commander linked to the Haqqani network, a powerful Taliban faction led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Interior Minister.
The US removed millions of dollars in bounties from the militant network in March, including on its leader.
A senior Taliban official said at the time: “All of them [Hall and the Reynolds] were arrested by the Haqqani network to extract concessions from their respective governments and put pressure on the supreme Mullah.”
He added: “It’s a way to keep [Donald] Trump happy, hoping that he would recognise the Taliban.”
The official said the Taliban’s main goal regarding their arrest was “recognition of the new Government by England”.
Before their arrest, the couple ran an organisation called Rebuild, which provides education and training programmes in Afghanistan.
The couple have been together since the 1960s and married in Kabul in 1970. They moved permanently to the Afghan capital in 2007.
When the Taliban took power in 2021, they stayed even after their house staff and most foreigners had left the country. Their family had feared the couple would die in prison.
Entwistle said: “Dad is a gentle, compassionate man who is considered a ‘father figure’ to many people. He is deeply loved and respected around the world for his wisdom and kindness. Mum is a fun-loving, vibrant visionary with inspirational ideas. She is truly loved by everyone and spreads joy wherever she goes.”
Jonathan Reynolds, the couple’s son, previously said their health was deteriorating rapidly, with Peter Reynolds reportedly suffering serious convulsions.
The Taliban’s Foreign Minister previously claimed the couple had received medical care and that “all their human rights are being respected”. However, the United Nations warned last month that the couple were being held in “degrading conditions” and described their detention as “inhumane”. Hall was released at the end of March.
Hamish Falconer, the Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said on Friday: “I am relieved to hear that Peter and Barbie Reynolds are no longer detained in Afghanistan, and their ordeal has come to an end. I look forward to them being reunited with their family soon.”
Richard Lindsay, the UK special envoy to Afghanistan, who met the couple on their release, added: “It’s up to the authorities here [in Kabul] to determine why they were detained. We’re grateful at least today is a great humanitarian day and they will be reunited with their family. They’ve been released now. I’m not clear what grounds they were held on.”
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