Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, have spent around 20 days in the custody of the Taliban interior ministry after being detained while returning from a training session in Bamiyan on February 1
An elderly British couple have been arrested by the Taliban for holding classes for mothers and children.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, had just finished a training session and were returning home in the central Afghan city of Bamiyan when they were detained on February 1.
The couple – who married in Kabul in 1970 – have been running training projects in Kabul and Bamiyan since 2009. Despite the Taliban banning the education of girls aged 12 or over, their projects – which trained mothers and children – were thought to have been approved by local authorities.
Their daughter Sarah Entwistle told the BBC it’s been more than two weeks since she last heard from her parents. They had been keeping in touch by text at first after the pair were detained by the interior ministry. Sarah was assured the couple were “fine” before contact stopped completely.
Sarah, who lives in Daventry, Northamptonshire, told the BBC: “It’s been over two weeks since the messages stopped, and they were taken into custody. We would like the Taliban to release them to go back to their home and continue their work.”
After the Taliban seized power in 2021, westerners left the country in droves, fearing the full force of the repressive Islamist regime. However, the Reynolds decided to stay put to offer help when Afghans needed it most.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Sarah added: “They said they could not leave when Afghans were in their hour of need. They were meticulous about keeping by the rules even as they kept changing.”
Their daughter told the Times: “My mother is 75 and my father almost 80 and [he] needs his heart medication after a mini-stroke. They were just trying to help the country they loved. The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous.”
Their American pal, Faye Hall, was also arrested, as was one of the translators that worked with them, an employee told PA.
The employee described the couple as “the most honourable people I have ever met”. They added that Peter had been denied access to the heart mediation that keeps him alive.
Sarah and the couple’s three other children penned a joint letter to the Taliban, begging for their parent’s release.
“We do not understand the reasons behind their arrest,” they wrote. “They have communicated their trust in you, and that as Afghan citizens they will be treated well.”
“We recognise that there have been instances where exchanges have been beneficial for your government and western nations. However, our parents have consistently expressed their commitment to Afghanistan, stating that they would rather sacrifice their lives than become part of ransom negotiations or be traded.”
Taliban sources have told the BBC that two British nationals are in their custody and that they were arrested 20 days ago. They say it was because they used a plane without informing the proper officials.
