London (BN24) — The Taliban government has released an elderly British couple who had been held in Afghanistan for nearly eight months, officials said Friday, following negotiations led by Qatar.
Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife, Barbara, 76, were freed after a court hearing and handed over to the United Kingdom’s special representative to Afghanistan, Richard Lindsay, at Kabul airport. The couple, arrested in February on charges that were never publicly detailed, were flown to Doha before their scheduled return to London.
Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi confirmed their release on social media, saying the two had been detained for “violating Afghan law,” but gave no further explanation.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the news and praised Qatar for its mediation. “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,” Starmer said in a statement.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said it was pleased to facilitate their release and praised the “fruitful cooperation” between Afghan and UK officials.
The couple had lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, primarily in Bamiyan province, where they ran educational programs. They were married in Kabul in 1970 and had obtained Afghan citizenship, remaining in the country even after the Taliban regained power in 2021 despite warnings from British officials to leave.
Barbara Reynolds said in brief comments after their release that they had been “treated very well” and were eager to reunite with their children. “We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can,” she added.
Their detention had raised international concern. In July, UN human rights experts urged the Taliban to free the pair, warning of a “rapid deterioration” in their health that could result in “irreparable harm or even death.”
The UK’s Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan minister, Hamish Falconer, said the release marked the end of an ordeal that had deeply affected the couple’s family. “We have worked intensively since their detention and supported the family throughout,” he said.
Their release came just days after Washington’s special envoy on hostages, Adam Boehler, visited Kabul to discuss potential prisoner exchanges. At least one American citizen, Mahmood Habibi, remains detained in Afghanistan.
Dozens of foreign nationals have been arrested by the Taliban since their return to power in August 2021, following the U.S. military withdrawal.
