Summary:
- British couple Peter and Barbie Reynolds have been detained in Taliban custody since February 1 without formal charges.
- Their health is reportedly worsening, with Peter suffering a heart incident and Barbie experiencing severe anaemia.
- United Nations experts and family members have condemned their continued detention and urged immediate release.
- Despite initial promises of release, the couple remains in Taliban custody with limited communication.
- UK Foreign Office officials visited in July but have not announced any diplomatic progress or resolution.
- The case underscores lack of due process and legal transparency under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
More than five months after their arrest in Afghanistan, Peter and Barbie Reynolds remain in custody of the Taliban amid mounting international concern for their deteriorating health and the absence of any formal charges. The British humanitarian couple, aged 80 and 76 respectively, are being held in what United Nations experts have described as “inhumane and degrading” conditions, prompting urgent calls for their immediate release from family members and global rights bodies.
The Reynolds were detained on February 1 while en route to their longtime home in the Bamyan province, where they’ve lived for 18 years operating education and vocational training programs through their charity. Afghan police initially found no evidence of wrongdoing, and Taliban officials reportedly indicated privately that the matter was not serious. Yet months later, the couple remains in a facility operated by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), under circumstances the UN says could amount to torture and arbitrary detention.
Over the last several weeks, concerns about their well-being have escalated dramatically. Speaking publicly on July 21, the couple’s four children issued a stark plea for action: “This is another urgent plea to the Taliban to release our parents before it is too late and they die in their custody,” they said, noting the lack of transparency and adequate healthcare provision since the arrest. UK-based and US-based members of the family have rallied diplomatic and human rights advocacy, warning that both parents’ health continues to decline.
Peter Reynolds, who has a long-standing heart condition, is believed to have suffered a silent heart attack or stroke since being taken into custody. Barbie Reynolds, meanwhile, is reportedly severely anaemic, has lost significant weight, and has collapsed multiple times while in detention. The couple has been denied access to meaningful medical care, sunlight, and even basic furniture. “They are forced to sleep on foam mats in overcrowded, unsanitary cells,” according to a lawyer familiar with their case.
After initially being held at Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi prison in separate wings, Peter and Barbie were moved approximately eight weeks ago to an undisclosed GDI facility. Promises of an imminent release have come and gone, and the family says any communication has been sparse and controlled. “They were told it would be days. It’s now months,” a family representative said.
The United Nations weighed in publicly late last week. In a joint statement released on July 21, five UN human rights experts, including Alice Jill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, condemned the ongoing detention. “We see no reason why this elderly couple should be detained at all,” Edwards stated. “It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions, especially given the rapidly deteriorating state of their health.” The experts further noted that no official charges have been brought against the Reynolds, nor have they received access to legal representation or meaningful medical attention.
Officials from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office visited the couple in custody on July 17 to conduct a welfare check, but have not publicly commented on the prospects for a resolution. “We continue to provide consular assistance and are engaging with the relevant authorities on the ground,” a spokesperson said Friday.
Though detained under the jurisdiction of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate, the Reynolds’ situation has drawn renewed attention to Afghanistan’s legal limbo under the current regime. Analysts and observers say the case highlights broader issues of due process and transparency under the Taliban’s security apparatus.
Still, for the Reynolds’ family, the focus remains squarely on their parents’ safety. “They have dedicated their lives to the people of Afghanistan,” their children said. “Now, we are simply asking for their release before it’s too late.” With no clear legal process underway and health conditions worsening by the day, international advocates warn that time is quickly running out.
Background:
Here is how this event developed over time:
- February 1, 2025: Peter and Barbie Reynolds were detained by the Taliban while traveling to their home in Bamyan province, where they had lived for 18 years running education and training programs.
- Early February 2025: Afghan police investigated the couple’s case and reportedly found no evidence of wrongdoing.
- Prior to May 2025: The Reynolds were initially held in Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul.
- Late May 2025 (approx. 8 weeks before July 21): The couple was transferred from Pul-e-Charkhi prison to an underground Taliban intelligence facility operated by the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI).
- July 17, 2025: The UK Foreign Office conducted an in-person welfare visit with the detained couple but did not secure their release.
- July 21, 2025: The Reynolds’ four children made a public plea for their parents’ immediate release due to rapidly deteriorating health conditions.
- July 21, 2025: Five UN human rights experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, issued a formal demand for the couple’s release, describing their detention conditions as inhumane and medically life-threatening.