British couple detained by Taliban moved to maximum security prison as family raise health fears

A British couple detained by the Taliban have been moved to a maximum security prison in Kabul in what has been described by their children as an alarming update.

Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were detained by the Taliban’s interior ministry on 1 February.

At the end of last month, the Taliban claimed the arrests happened because of a “misunderstanding” that the Reynolds had fake Afghan passports.

The day before that, the BBC reported the Taliban as saying they would endeavour to release the couple “as soon as possible”.

But the Reynolds’ four adult children have now said they have received news of their parents being split up while detained in a maximum security prison without any charges made against them.

Mr Reynolds was said to be in “urgent” need of medical care. He has reportedly been taken to an undisclosed location and his wife has been told she can no longer see him.

In a statement to Sky News, the family said Mr Reynolds’ life was at risk as he was reportedly suffering from a chest infection, a double eye infection and serious digestive issues due to alleged poor nutrition.

“Our parents’ detention is cruel and unjust,” they said.

“Denying Dad urgent medical care violates basic human rights and contradicts the principles of mercy and compassion central to Islam, especially during Ramadan.

“We urge those in power to show goodwill and release them immediately.”

The couple were married in Kabul in 1970 and have lived in Afghanistan for the last 18 years – remaining after the Taliban toppled the Western-backed government in 2021.

The couple run Rebuild, an organisation that provides education and training programmes for businesses, government agencies, educational organisations and nongovernmental groups.