British couple detained for 8 months in Afghanistan released

British nationals Peter and Barbara Reynolds, aged 80 and 76, detained for eight months by the Taliban in Afghanistan, were released this Friday. The news was reported by the British press, which added that the process was mediated by Qatar.

Sky News revealed that the couple, who lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades and founded an education organization, arrived in the Qatari capital, Doha, this Friday . According to the BBC , they first traveled to the country that brokered their release for medical examinations and will then continue on to the United Kingdom.

Qatar has been involved in negotiations with Taliban authorities for several months, in coordination with the British government and the Renyolds' family, a Qatari source told Reuters .

Peter and Barbie (as she is known), who also hold Afghan citizenship, were detained by the Taliban Interior Ministry on February 1 of this year. They were returning home to the city of Bamiyan, in the center of the country, when they were prevented from continuing their journey on the grounds that they did not have the necessary documentation . They were accompanied by a local interpreter and an American colleague, Faye Hall, who were also detained. Hall was eventually released in March, but the couple's detention extended, and that same month they were transferred to a maximum-security prison in Kabul.

Peter and Barbie married in Kabul in 1970. For the past 18 years, they have led Rebuild, an educational organization they founded that provides educational programs for mothers. The BBC reports that the organization was approved by the Taliban when the armed group regained control of Afghanistan in 2021.

In a brief statement to Sky News upon arrival at Kabul airport, Peter Reynolds emphasized their gratitude. "We were treated very well. We look forward to seeing our children," his wife said. " We look forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can . We are Afghan citizens," she added.

The reasons for the couple's detention were never disclosed by Taliban authorities . Sources close to the case told AFP that "several religious (non-Islamic) books" were found in their home, which for a time constituted the main allegation under investigation. At least 59 books were reportedly confiscated. However, Afghan Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani told the agency that the investigation has now focused on "the legality of acquiring citizenship."

"The closest thing to hell I can imagine." British couple held by Taliban for over 120 days

During their eight months of detention, the couple's family members warned of their precarious situation. "My mother is 75 and my father is almost 80; he needs heart medication after suffering a minor stroke. They were just trying to help the country they loved. The idea that they were imprisoned because they were teaching mothers with children is absurd ," their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, told the Sunday Times. Faye Hall, also released five months before the couple, warned that Peter and Barbie were "literally dying in prison" and that "time was running out" to free them.

An official at the Qatari embassy in the Afghan capital assured Reuters that they had ensured the Reynoldses were in "comfortable" conditions during negotiations and detention. "Throughout their eight months of detention—during which they were largely kept apart—the Qatari embassy in Kabul provided critical support, including access to their doctors, the delivery of medication, and regular communication with their family," he said.

Following Peter and Barbie's release, the Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that the Reynoldses "violated Afghan laws," without specifying. He added that the country "does not view issues concerning citizens from a political or transactional perspective."

د پيټر او باربارا رېنولډز په نامه دوه تنه بريتانوي اتباع چې د افغانستان قوانين یې نقض کړي وو، له قضايي پروسې وروسته نن له بنده خلاص شول.

د ا.ا.ا د اتباعو مسايلو ته له سياسي او يا د معاملې له زاويې نه گوري.

هيله ده چې د اتباعو مسايل، خصوصا هغوی ته د کونسلي خدماتو وړاندې کېدل pic.twitter.com/vUlmR4fGqf

— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) September 19, 2025