Imprisoned Elderly British Couple Near Death in Taliban Custody
In a concerning development, the United Nations (UN) has raised serious concerns about the health and detention conditions of British couple Peter (80) and Barbie Reynolds (75/76), who have been held by the Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan since early February 2025, without charges.
The UN experts have labelled the prolonged, charge-free detention under harsh conditions as likely constituting inhumane treatment, in violation of international human rights standards. They have urged for the immediate release of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, expressing particular concern for their rapidly deteriorating health.
Peter Reynolds, who requires heart medication after a previous transient ischemic attack, has suffered two eye infections, experienced tremors in his head and left arm, and has recently collapsed. Barbie Reynolds, on the other hand, suffers from anemia, weakness, numbness in her feet, and general physical deterioration, attributed to poor food quality and quantity. Both have had very limited contact with family and lack effective legal representation or proper medical attention.
Initially, the couple was held in a maximum-security prison, with Peter placed among prisoners including dangerous criminals, and Barbie in the women's section. For months, they were confined in underground cells with no access to sunlight, conditions described as degrading and inhumane. However, they were recently moved to above-ground cells at the General Directorate of Intelligence facility in Kabul.
The UN experts have called for their immediate release and urgent transfer to a civilian hospital for medical treatment, emphasizing that continued detention risks irreparable harm or death. The Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has stated that consular services are available for Peter and Barbie Reynolds and efforts are underway to secure their release. He also stated that the human rights of the couple are being respected and they are being given full access to treatment, contact, and accommodation.
The family has written privately to the Taliban leadership, pleading for them to uphold their beliefs of compassion, mercy, fairness, and human dignity. The UK has shut its embassy in Kabul and withdrawn its diplomats from the country after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, leaving support for British nationals severely limited.
Officials from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) visited the couple last week, and an FCDO spokesperson confirmed they are supporting the family of the two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan. The FCDO advises against traveling to Afghanistan.
As the situation continues to unfold, the UN, the Taliban, and the British government are closely monitoring the couple's situation, with the UN urging for urgent humanitarian intervention to alleviate the couple's worsening health and deplorable detention conditions in Taliban-controlled Kabul.
- The health and wellness of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who have been detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, is a matter of serious concern due to their rapidly deteriorating health conditions.
- Several UN experts have called for the immediate release of the British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, due to the inhumane detention conditions and the potential violation of international human rights standards.
- Given the serious mental-health implications and aging factors, it is crucial for the Taliban authorities to immediately provide Peter and Barbie Reynolds with proper medical attention and legal representation.
- The UN has also emphasized that the continued detention of the couple poses a risk of irreparable harm or death, which highlights the urgency of general-news coverage, activism, and political intervention in this case.
