Crystal Charles
The son of a British couple detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly eight months has described his relief as “overwhelming” following their release.
Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, who have lived in Afghanistan for almost two decades, are due to fly to the UK on Saturday after being reunited with their daughter in Qatar.
Jonathan Reynolds told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he was “ecstatic and massively grateful” to all those involved in securing his parents’ freedom.
The couple were detained by the Taliban on 1 February while travelling home. The armed group said the pair had broken Afghan laws but has never publicly disclosed the specific reasons for their detention.
Emotional scenes unfolded on Friday as their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, met her parents as they stepped off the plane in Doha. Barbie Reynolds told Agence France-Presse that they hoped to return to Afghanistan in the future, adding, “We are Afghan citizens.”
Jonathan Reynolds echoed this sentiment, noting that their parents were eager to continue the charitable work they had been doing in Afghanistan.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised Qatar for its “vital role” in securing the couple’s release.
Peter and Barbie Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and spent the last 18 years running a charitable training programme approved by local Taliban officials after the group regained power in 2021. Jonathan Reynolds said the couple’s work had “a massively positive impact” on the local community.
Despite the Taliban takeover, the couple chose to remain in Bamiyan province, demonstrating their commitment to the people of Afghanistan.
During their detention, the family publicly highlighted the couple’s deteriorating health. Jonathan said in July that his father had been experiencing serious convulsions, while his mother suffered from anaemia and malnutrition. A Qatari official told the BBC that the couple were transferred to a larger facility with better conditions in the final stage of negotiations. Taliban officials maintained that the couple received adequate medical care during their detention.
Before departing for London, the Reynolds were undergoing medical checks in Doha. They are expected to arrive in the UK on a commercial flight on Saturday morning.
The UK government does not recognise the Taliban regime and closed its embassy in Kabul after the group returned to power. The Foreign Office advises against all travel to Afghanistan, citing limited support for British nationals in the country.
