Taliban have transferred a detained British couple to a maximum-security prison and have separated them, The Sunday Times reported.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were arrested in February in Bamiyan province along with a Chinese-American citizen and their translator. Their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, has raised concerns over her father’s worsening health, saying he is suffering from a chest infection, severe eye infections, and digestive issues due to inadequate prison conditions.
“We have heard that he now has a chest infection, severe infections in both eyes, and serious digestive problems caused by poor nutrition. Without immediate access to necessary medication, his life is in serious danger,” Entwistle told The Sunday Times.
She also alleged that her father had been beaten and chained in prison and that her mother had been denied access to see him.
Peter and Barbie Reynolds have lived in Afghanistan since 2006, working on educational projects. Before their arrest, they were running five education programs for children and mothers, as well as another initiative in Bamiyan with Taliban approval. The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970, also established a nonprofit organization, “Rebuild,” to support education in Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior confirmed on February 25 that the couple, along with the Chinese-American national, had been detained but did not provide details on the charges.
Security analysts warn that Taliban prisons are notorious for harsh treatment and a lack of oversight.
“The Taliban’s treatment of prisoners is completely inhumane and violates all human rights standards. Many detainees face torture, humiliation, and even death in Taliban prisons,” Bismellah Taban, an analyst, said.
Taliban have previously detained foreign nationals, particularly American citizens, and later negotiated prisoner swaps for high-profile figures with ties to al-Qaeda.
In January, the Taliban secured the release of Khan Mohammed, a senior militant accused of orchestrating rocket attacks on U.S. forces, in exchange for two detained Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty.
Former U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that the Taliban are actively seeking the release of Mohammed Rahim, a former aide to Osama bin Laden, who is currently held in U.S. custody.
The British government has not publicly commented on the couple’s detention, and their current legal status remains unclear.
