"Feared Being Executed": British Couple Released By Taliban

British Couple Freed By Taliban Arrive Home After Eight-Month Detention

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76.

An elderly British couple detained in Afghanistan for almost eight months by Taliban authorities returned to the UK on Saturday, expressing fears that they "would never be released" during their ordeal.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, landed on a flight from Doha, Qatar, where they had received medical attention following their Friday release.

At London's Heathrow airport, Barbie Reynolds displayed a wide smile as the couple emerged from the arrivals area, joined by their daughter and British special representative to Afghanistan Richard Lindsay.

Following their homecoming, Peter Reynolds confided to The Times that they had "begun to think that we would never be released, or that we were even being held until we were executed."

"We are bewildered as to why any of this happened and are very happy that this ordeal is over," he remarked.

Barbie shared that the most difficult aspect of their detention was "seeing my 80-year-old husband struggling to get into the back of a police truck with his hands and ankles chained."

Their family expressed "immense joy" upon learning of the Reynolds' release, with emotional reunions when they arrived in Doha from Kabul to meet their daughter.

"This experience has reminded us of the power of diplomacy, empathy and international cooperation," their four children stated jointly on Friday.

"While the road to recovery will be long as our parents regain their health and spend time with their family, today is a day of tremendous joy and relief."

Qatar played an instrumental role in securing the couple's freedom amid growing concerns about their health condition.

The pair were arrested in February while returning to their residence in central Afghanistan's Bamiyan province.

According to UN experts, they were initially held in a maximum security facility, "then in underground cells, without daylight, before being transferred" to intelligence services in Kabul.

The couple wed in Kabul in 1970 and have lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, managing educational programs for women and children, and eventually becoming Afghan citizens.

Despite advice from the British embassy, they chose to remain in Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

'Afghan citizens'

The Taliban authorities have not provided reasons for the couple's detention.

Before departing from Kabul airport on Friday, Barbie Reynolds stated they had received good treatment.

"We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can. We are Afghan citizens," she added.

Their son, Jonathan, told the BBC that his parents hope to return to their beloved Afghanistan.

"They have not just a heart for the people of Afghanistan, but they have strategy as well, and the work they've been doing has been very fruitful and has a massively positive impact," he explained.

In July, independent UN human rights experts urged the Taliban government to release the couple, warning of "irreparable harm or even death" as their health deteriorated.

Their family had made multiple appeals for their release, citing declining health concerns.

Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi stated Friday that the couple "had violated the laws of Afghanistan" and were released "following the judicial process."

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted the "long-awaited news will come as a huge relief" to the family.

The British government advises against travel to Afghanistan, warning that its ability to provide consular assistance is "extremely limited."

Russia remains the only country to have officially recognized the Taliban government, which has implemented strict Islamic law and faced accusations of widespread rights violations.

Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces, dozens of foreign nationals have been arrested.