Taliban Releases British Couple Detained for Months in Afghanistan

A picture released by the Qatari government show Peter and Barbara Reynolds, on the right, with British and Qatari diplomats on a plane after they were released from custody in Afghanistan. Credit…Qatar Government.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and Barbara Reynolds, 76, ran education programs in Afghanistan for almost two decades. They were arrested on Feb. 1 when they were returning to their home in Bamiyan Province, in the center of the country.

On Friday, a spokesman for the Afghan foreign ministry, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, said on social media that they had “violated the laws of Afghanistan,” and were released “following the judicial process,” but provided little detail about the allegations against the couple.

The Reynolds were released as Western countries, including the United States, have renewed efforts to free their citizens held by the Taliban. In a rare visit to Afghanistan last week, Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s special envoy for hostage affairs, met with the Afghan foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Kabul.

The Taliban said after the meeting that “the two sides would undertake an exchange of detainees,” but neither the White House nor the State Department commented.

The Qatari government facilitated the release of Peter and Barbara Reynolds, Afghan and British officials said. Britain and other European nations withdrew diplomatic staff from Afghanistan in 2021 as the Taliban returned to power, but Qatar has maintained an embassy in Kabul and kept diplomatic channels open to the Taliban government.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain thanked Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, saying in a statement that Qatar had played “vital role” in securing the couple’s freedom.

“This is a moment of immense joy for our family,” the couple’s four children said in a statement thanking the diplomats who negotiated their release.

For the first few months of their detention, the Reynolds were held separately in the Pul-e-Charki prison in Kabul, they have said. In the spring, the couple was transferred to a facility managed by Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency, but their children have said they received scant details about their detention.

Conditions improved for the couple following diplomatic efforts, their children said. After fears that Mr. Reynolds had suffered a stroke or heart attack, they were able to receive medication, and in recent weeks, they were allowed phone calls and walks outside.

“This experience has reminded us of the power of diplomacy, empathy, and international cooperation,” the children said.

The Reynolds’ connection to Afghanistan extends back to their youth. According to their company’s website, they married in Kabul more than 50 years ago.

After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, triggering the withdrawal of Western troops, many charities evacuated their staffs.

But the Reynolds decided to stay. They continued to run workshops, hiring new staff and adapting to Taliban rule, according to the website for Rebuild, their company. The Afghan government is listed as one of its clients.

The company is based in Kabul but has operated across the country. Its workshops included management and leadership training, but Sarah Entwistle, a daughter of the Reynolds, also said one program taught parenting skills to young mothers.

Since retaking power, the Taliban have barred girls from attending schools beyond sixth grade and prevented women from most professional activities. Some international organizations have tried to provide Afghan women professional training in handicraft and other jobs that remain accessible to them.

After the Reynolds were released, the British government reiterated that its citizens should not travel to Afghanistan. Britain’s ability to support its citizens in Afghanistan “is extremely limited,” Hamish Falconer, Britain’s minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said in a statement.

A growing number of Western tourists, including travel influencers, have visited Afghanistan, often showcasing the country’s stunning landscapes while not mentioning the severe restrictions that the Taliban have imposed on Afghan people.

Stephen Castle contributed reporting from London.