Despite Taliban Detention, British Couple's Love for Afghanistan Endures

Wed Oct 22 2025 16:59:44 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, a British couple who were detained by the Taliban for eight months, return to the UK expressing their desire to continue their humanitarian work in Afghanistan, exemplifying resilience amidst adversity.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, aged 80 and 76 respectively, were held by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly eight months before their recent release. Upon returning to the UK from Qatar, they expressed their eagerness to continue their philanthropic efforts in Afghanistan despite the challenges they faced. The couple’s son has highlighted their commitment to the Afghan community, pointing out their positive impact through sustainable training programs established over the years.

A British couple detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly eight months have arrived back in the UK after being released.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, who lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, landed at Heathrow Airport, on a flight from Doha.

They were reunited with their daughter in Qatar on Friday. Their son Jonathan Reynolds told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he was ecstatic and massively grateful to those who were involved in securing their release.

The Taliban, who detained the couple on 1 February, said the pair had broken Afghan laws and were released after judicial proceedings - but the Islamist group has never disclosed a reason for their detention.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and spent the past 18 years running a charitable training programme that had been approved by local Taliban officials when the armed group reclaimed power in 2021.

There were emotional scenes on Friday as the couple's daughter, Sarah Entwistle, met her parents as they stepped off the plane in Doha.

We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can. We are Afghan citizens, Barbie told Agence France-Presse at Kabul airport after Qatar-brokered negotiations for their release.

Their son Jonathan echoed those hopes, saying their desire would be to carry on living there and to do the work they were doing.

“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,” Jonathan told the BBC.

Since 2009 the couple have been running training projects in Kabul and Bamiyan, specifically focusing on the education of women and children, despite challenges due to the Taliban's regulations concerning women.

Their affection for Afghanistan was demonstrated by their decision to remain in Bamiyan province after the authoritarian regime seized control in August 2021, while many other Westerners left, including most of their staff.

The couple's release follows months of public lobbying by their family, who have described the harrowing conditions of their detention, highlighting the physical consequences faced by the couple during their time in custody.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the vital role played by Qatar in securing their release. A Qatari official mentioned that the couple were moved from Kabul's central prison to a larger facility with better conditions during negotiations over their release.

The couple received medical checks in Doha before leaving for London, but the Taliban maintained they received adequate medical care during their detention.

While the UK does not recognize the Taliban government and closed its embassy in Kabul when the group returned to power, the Foreign Office advises against all travel to Afghanistan, indicating severely limited support for British nationals in the country.