Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed Friday that Peter and Barbie Reynolds, two British nationals detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan since February, have been released with the help of Qatari mediation.
Hamish Falconer, Britain’s minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said in a statement he was “relieved to hear that Peter and Barbie Reynolds are no longer detained in Afghanistan and that their ordeal has come to an end. I look forward to them soon being reunited with their family.”
Falconer said the U.K. had been actively engaged on the case since the couple’s arrest and thanked Qatar for its “essential role” in securing their release. “Qatar continues to play a vital role in mediating disputes in the Middle East and beyond,” he said.
The Foreign Office reiterated that its ability to provide consular assistance in Afghanistan remains extremely limited and again advised British citizens not to travel there.
The couple — Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, in her mid-70s — were arrested in their home in Bamiyan province in February. They had lived in Afghanistan for about 18 years, running Rebuild, an institute that provided educational services to companies and organizations.
U.N. experts warned in July that the pair faced “irreparable harm or even death” due to deteriorating health conditions. Reports said Peter Reynolds suffered from severe eye infections and tremors, while Barbie Reynolds was weakened by anemia and poor nutrition.
CNN reported their release followed months of negotiations mediated by Qatar. The couple will undergo medical checks in Doha before returning to the U.K. Progress in the talks reportedly came after the Taliban moved them from Kabul’s central prison to a better-equipped facility and allowed them to be held together again.
Despite the exodus of many international organizations after Taliban restrictions, the Reynolds family had chosen to remain in Afghanistan. Their children wrote to the Taliban in February stressing that their parents had always respected Afghan laws.
