A British couple were arrested in Afghanistan due to a “misunderstanding” that they had fake Afghan passports, the Taliban said on Tuesday.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, 79 and 75, were detained by the Taliban’s interior ministry on 1 February while returning to their home in the central province of Bamiyan.

The couple, who run education and training programmes in Afghanistan, were arrested along with Faye Hall, a Chinese-American friend and an interpreter from their business.

Taliban spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani said the arrests were due to a “misunderstanding” that they possessed fake Afghan passports.

On Monday, the Reynolds’ daughter, Sarah Entwistle, said the family had initially chosen not to involve the UK authorities “hoping to hear directly from the Taliban about why they’d arrested our parents”.

“Our parents have always sought to honour 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,” Entwistle told Times Radio.

“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.”

On Monday, Qani said the Taliban would attempt to release the couple “as soon as possible”, the BBC reported.

He said: “A series of considerations is being taken into account and, after evaluation, we will endeavour to release them as soon as possible.”

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was “supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan”.

The couple married in Kabul more than 50 years ago and run Rebuild, “an Afghan-registered research and training business” that has been operating since 2009.

In an open letter to the Taliban, Entwistle and her three brothers said: “We do not understand the reasons behind their arrest. Our parents have consistently expressed their commitment to Afghanistan, stating that they would rather sacrifice their lives than become part of ransom negotiations or be traded.”