A British couple, Peter, 80, and Barbie Reynolds, 76, released by the Taliban last week, have shared their harrowing experience of being imprisoned in Afghanistan. After more than seven months in various prisons, the couple expressed their fears of execution during their detention.
Having dedicated nearly two decades to charitable work in Afghanistan, the Reynolds were arrested in February after a chartered flight from Kabul. They were taken to multiple prisons but were never informed of the reasons for their detention or eventual release.
Good, old-fashioned diplomacy played a crucial role in securing their release, according to Hamish Falconer, the UK minister for the Middle East, who expressed gratitude towards Qatar for mediating the situation.
While in captivity, the couple faced significant health issues and described poor living conditions, including being held in small basement cells. They managed to return to the UK after experiencing severe anaemia and other problems.
Both expressed their bewilderment over the lack of charges against them, noting that their treatment varied between harsh and relatively kind during their detention. On returning home, they conveyed their gratitude for their freedom but also sadness for leaving behind their life and the people in Afghanistan.
Peter and Barbie, who were married in Afghanistan in 1970, have run educational training programs for women and children. Despite their release, they stated their intention not to return to Afghanistan in the foreseeable future due to the ongoing dangers for foreign nationals there.
