A British couple in their 70s, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are imprisoned by the Taliban, are facing significant health concerns. The family is worried about their deteriorating conditions after the couple’s expected court appearance was delayed.
Peter and Barbie, who run a training business in Afghanistan, were detained last month when they visited their home in Bamiyan province. Despite running projects in schools for 18 years, the couple has not been informed of the charges against them. Their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, revealed that her parents have been suffering from malnutrition and have not seen each other since their separate court appearances were postponed.
Both Peter and Barbie’s health is declining. Barbie is malnourished and collapsing due to only receiving one meal a day, while Peter is experiencing tremors in his head and left arm. The lack of access to necessary medication further puts Peter’s life at risk.
One of the couple’s projects involved educational training for mothers and children in Bamiyan, which had been approved by the local authority. Despite the Taliban’s ban on women working and female education beyond primary school, the couple’s work had been deemed acceptable.
During their court appearance, the couple spent four hours chained to other prisoners before being sent back to prison without seeing a judge. The family was told that a different judge would handle the case and hopes for a fair hearing in the coming week. Sarah Entwistle mentioned that her mother needed assistance to climb the stairs to reach the judge’s room.
Despite the Taliban’s claims that the situation is due to misunderstandings and that the couple will be released soon, there are still no charges against them and no evidence of any crime submitted. The family is devastated by this delay and finds it senseless, especially considering the Taliban’s repeated promises of an imminent release.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/23/fears-for-british-couple-in-70s-held-by-taliban-as-court-appearance-delayed
