LONDON: A British couple in their 70s who ran education programs in Afghanistan have been detained by the Taliban administration, their daughter said, urging the British government to do everything possible to secure their release.
Barbie and Peter Reynolds, 75 and 79, were detained by the Taliban’s interior ministry on February 1, their daughter Sarah Entwistle, who lives in central England, said.
Speaking to Times Radio on Monday, Entwistle said her parents had initially kept in touch via text messages following their detention — assuring their four children that they were fine — before losing all contact three days later.
“Our parents have always sought to honor the Taliban, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to explain their reasons for this detention. However, after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait,” she said.
“We’re now urgently calling on the British consulate to do everything in their power to get us answers and to put as much pressure as they can on the Taliban for their release,” Entwistle added.
Britain’s Foreign Office said on Monday it was “supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan,” without providing further detail.
The BBC, citing official Taliban sources, reported on Sunday that two British nationals believed to be working for a non-governmental organization in the central Afghan province of Bamiyan had been arrested. It cited one official as saying they had been arrested about 20 days ago after using a plane without informing local authorities.
Afghan authorities arrested four individuals — two British nationals, one Chinese-American and their interpreter, Abdul Mateen, a spokesman for the interior ministry, told Reuters.
The couple were arrested alongside a Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, and a translator from their training business, Britain’s PA news agency reported.
Western countries including Britain and the United States shut their embassies and withdrew their diplomats as the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021.
Britain advises its nationals against any travel to Afghanistan, warning of the risks of being detained there.
The British couple had been running projects in schools in Afghanistan for 18 years, deciding to stay even after the Taliban seized power, the Sunday Times said.