Peter and Barbie Reynolds Afghanistan: British couple in their 70s detained by Taliban for 'teaching mothers parenting with children'
The Taliban have arrested a British couple in their 70s for “teaching mothers parenting with children”.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were detained when returning to their home in Bamiyan province on 1 February. The couple have been running projects in schools in Afghanistan for 18 years and decided to stay in the country after the Taliban seized power in 2021.
One of the projects involved training mothers and children in Bamiyan, one of the largest cities in central Afghanistan. There is a ban on women working and on female education beyond primary school, but this project had apparently been approved by the Bamiyan local authority.
The couple were arrested alongside an American-Chinese friend, Faye Hall, who had rented a plane to travel with them, and a translator from the couple’s Rebuild training business. An anonymous Rebuild employee told the PA news agency the group was informed that their flight “did not coordinate with the local government”.
For the first three days after their arrest, the couple kept in touch with their children via text message, explaining they were being held by the interior ministry and stating they were fine. Then the texts stopped. Their children have not been in contact with them since.
The family have urged the Taliban authorities to release Peter and Barbie Reynolds. The children said in a letter to the Taliban, shared Sunday with The Associated Press.: “They have always been open about their presence and their work, diligently respecting and obeying the laws as they change.
“They have chosen Afghanistan as their home, rather than with family in England, and they wish to spend the rest of their lives in Afghanistan. We kindly ask for the release of our father and mother so they can return to their work in teaching, training, and serving Afghanistan, which you have previously supported.”
They told PA they feared for Peter’s condition. “It seems that if Peter and Barbie are not released soon, Peter may lose his life because he needs medication, and the Taliban are not allowing him it,” they added.