British Couple Detained by Taliban Faces Grave Health Risks as Family Appeals for Release

Published: 23 July 2025 | The English Chronicle Online

The harrowing ordeal of a British couple held by the Taliban in Afghanistan has taken a distressing turn, with their son warning that they may not survive the conditions of their imprisonment. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, were detained five months ago as they returned to their home in Bamiyan province, central Afghanistan—a region where they had lived for nearly two decades and engaged in educational projects.

The precise reasons for their arrest on February 1 remain unclear, but their situation has deteriorated rapidly. Their son, Jonathan Reynolds, revealed to the BBC that his father has been suffering severe convulsions and displays symptoms resembling early-stage Parkinson’s disease, while his mother battles debilitating anaemia and malnutrition. Both are enduring life-threatening health problems exacerbated by the harsh conditions of their confinement.

Despite an initial Taliban promise to release the couple “as soon as possible,” they remain in custody, held under grueling circumstances that have drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organisations. The United Nations has condemned their detention as “inhumane,” warning that without immediate medical intervention, the couple could perish in custody. The UN’s human rights body has called for their urgent transfer to a civilian hospital, emphasising the absence of legitimate grounds for their imprisonment.

Jonathan Reynolds described his parents’ plight as “harrowing and surreal,” highlighting that despite being deemed innocent by a judge and facing no formal charges, the couple have been confined in a maximum-security prison. His father was reportedly shackled alongside convicted murderers and criminals, and both were subjected to six weeks in a basement without sunlight or any access to outdoor time. Such conditions have gravely impacted their physical and mental wellbeing.

The Reynolds family last heard from Peter and Barbie on June 15, when the couple communicated details of their worsening health. Mr Reynolds recounted how his father experienced prolonged convulsions on the prison floor, requiring intervention from prison guards to move him to a mattress pad. His mother’s extremities have turned blue from lack of proper medical care, a stark indicator of her malnutrition and anaemia.

While grateful that British officials recently visited the couple and provided a photo as proof of life, Jonathan expressed frustration at the ongoing delays in securing their release. “Every week it seems like we’re told ‘just wait two or three more days now… just hang tight’,” he lamented. Despite this, he acknowledged the support and communication efforts from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which remains involved in the case despite severely limited diplomatic presence following the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

The couple, who have celebrated both birthdays and their 55th wedding anniversary in detention, had been active contributors to their community in Bamiyan. They ran educational programmes, including training for women and children—a significant endeavour given the Taliban’s restrictions on girls’ education beyond age 12 and prohibitions against women working.

The UN and other advocates continue to urge the Taliban and the UK government for swift action to prevent a tragic outcome, reiterating that the continued detention of the elderly couple in such conditions is both unjustified and inhumane.

As international attention focuses on their plight, the Reynolds family’s desperate hope remains that their parents will soon be freed to receive the medical care they urgently need, ending a prolonged nightmare fraught with uncertainty and suffering.