British couple feared execution during Taliban detention, freed after seven-and-a-half months

A British couple released by the Taliban in Afghanistan last week say they were detained in 10 different prisons and at one point feared they would be executed. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie Reynolds, 76, arrived back in the United Kingdom on Saturday after seven and a half months in custody following their arrest on Feb. 1. Their release was framed by British officials as the product of persistent diplomacy, helped by Qatar, which mediated the talks that secured their freedom.

The couple, who have run a charity program in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, described a sequence of confinement that included time in Pul-e-Charkhi, a notorious maximum-security prison outside Kabul. They said they were held in basement cells with no windows for two months, before being moved above ground in the final weeks. They were brought to court about four times, yet no charges were ever laid. “When I was taken to court, I had my ankles and hands cuffed together with murderers and rapists,” Peter Reynolds said in written remarks to the BBC. They recalled a profound sense of powerlessness, even as they were treated with a degree of respect in places; Barbie Reynolds recalled the hardest moments as seeing her husband struggle to get into the back of a police truck with his limbs restrained after 55 years of marriage.

The Reynoldses had arrived in Afghanistan in the early 2000s and formalized their long-running work after their marriage in 1970. Since 2009, they have led education and training projects in Kabul and Bamiyan, including initiatives aimed at training women and children. Local authorities were said to have approved at least some of their programs before the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, though the group has banned most forms of women’s work and education for girls over 12. The couple described Afghanistan as a place they deeply loved, and they said they would not return to the country for now, despite the affection they hold for many Afghans.

Health problems emerged during detention: both suffered from severe anaemia, among other issues, and the translated accounts suggest a mix of harsh conditions and some periods of relative better provision. Barbie Reynolds told the Sunday Times that, after months of prison food described as “oily and salty,” she would like something as simple as salad and Marmite, while Peter longed for baked beans when they finally returned to the United Kingdom. The Taliban, for their part, said they had provided medical care and that the detainees’ human rights were respected, while noting they had “served their time.”

Faye Hall, a friend who accompanied the couple and their translator on the charter flight from Kabul to Bamiyan, was released earlier along with the translator. A Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson said the four had been detained, but did not offer details on the charges, if any, and indicated they had completed their time under Taliban authority. In the British view, the episode underscored the fragility of Afghan security conditions and the ongoing risk of detention for foreign nationals. The Foreign Office continues to warn against all travel to Afghanistan, stressing there is a heightened risk that British nationals could be detained for extended periods.

Back home, the Reynoldses spoke of an intense sense of upheaval and a long process of adjustment. Peter Reynolds described the moment as one of profound change, saying, “We are leaving behind quality people, our home, and all our possessions.” He and Barbie emphasized their confidence in Afghans who pursue a positive future for their country, even as they acknowledged the difficulties of reconciliation after years of conflict. They added they do not intend to return to Afghanistan in the near future, citing the security environment and the complexity of rebuilding amid ongoing tensions.

The British government, which no longer maintains an embassy in Afghanistan, has repeatedly warned travelers that the country remains extremely dangerous and that detainees could face months or years in custody. The Reynolds case illustrated the role that international diplomacy and third-country mediation can play in resolving crises involving Western nationals in Afghanistan, while also highlighting the precarious nature of life for civilians and aid workers in areas under Taliban control.

The British couple’s experience contrasts with the difficult balance of humanitarian work in Afghanistan, where international aid groups have faced restrictions and where local authorities’ stance on education and women’s rights has shifted repeatedly since the Taliban’s return to power. Despite their release, the Reynoldses underscored that Afghanistan remains a place of immense risk for Westerners and aid workers, and they urged continued caution among foreign visitors while expressing gratitude for those who helped secure their freedom, including Qatar’s mediation and the efforts of British officials.