British Couple's Ordeal Under Taliban: Seven Months of Fear and Uncertainty

Fri Oct 10 2025 11:46:52 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, a British couple held by the Taliban for nearly eight months, share their harrowing experience of detention, fear of execution, and eventual release with the help of diplomatic efforts.

Peter (80) and Barbie Reynolds (76) recall their ordeal being detained by the Taliban across ten prisons, worrying they wouldn’t survive. After nearly eight months, they returned to the UK, coping with health issues and reeling from their experiences. They had been involved in charitable work in Afghanistan, leaving behind friends and projects, with concerns about the future of the country amidst ongoing threats against foreigners.

A British couple released by the Taliban in Afghanistan last week say they were detained in 10 different prisons and at one point thought they would be executed.

Peter, 80, and wife Barbie Reynolds, 76, said it was never explained to them why they were being held, nor why they were released.

The couple, who have run a charity programme in Afghanistan for almost two decades, arrived back in the UK on Saturday after seven and a half months in detention.

Good, old-fashioned diplomacy ended their ordeal, Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East, told the BBC, and again thanked the government of Qatar, which helped mediate their release.

Both suffered health problems while in prison, including severe anaemia. Taliban officials maintained they received adequate medical care during their detention and that their human rights were respected.

They were arrested on 1 February this year after taking a chartered flight from Kabul to Bamiyan province, along with friend Faye Hall and their translator who were later released.

A spokesperson for the Taliban foreign ministry, speaking after their release, said they had served their time but did not reveal the reasons for their detention.

Peter and Barbie expressed their confusion about their detention, as Peter noted they were treated with respect yet felt a huge powerlessness throughout their ordeal.

Back in the UK, they expressed their desire for normal food after months of oily and salty prison meals, while confirming that they do not plan to return to Afghanistan due to the risks involved for foreigners in the current political climate.

The couple have a deep love for Afghanistan, stating they are confident in the many wonderful Afghans they know to bring about a positive future for their country without them.