The family of a British couple in their seventies who have been detained in Afghanistan have expressed fears for their health after a court appearance was delayed.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested on 1 February while returning to their home in Bamiyan province.
They were taken out of jail for court proceedings on Saturday and spent four hours sitting on the floor, chained to other prisoners before being returned to prison, according to their daughter.
Sarah Entwistle added that her mother was “collapsing due to malnutrition” and that her father’s health was “declining”, saying that they have “no charges against them”.
She said that on Saturday, the couple had been informed “at the last minute” that they would not be seen by the judge.
“The guards indicated that a different judge would now be handling the case, and we continue to hope they will receive a fair hearing in the coming week,” she said.
Their daughter added: “We continue to hope they will receive a fair hearing in the coming week.”
The couple are being held separately and did not see each other on Saturday.
Before their arrest, Mr and Mrs Reynolds, who married in the Afghan capital Kabul in 1970, had been running training projects in Afghanistan for 18 years – including one that involved training mothers and children.
Their work had apparently been approved by the local authorities despite the Taliban banning education for girls over 12-years-old and not allowing women to work.
The Taliban announced women would be banned from working for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in 2022, and in December 2024, it said it would close any NGOs employing women.
Mrs Reynolds is only being given one meal a day and needed help to climb the four flights of stairs to the room where the judge sits, according to her daughter.
“Mum’s health is rapidly deteriorating, and she is collapsing due to malnutrition,” she said. “She and the other women are provided only one meal a day, while the men receive three.”
She added: “Dad’s health is also still declining, and he’s experiencing tremors in his head and left arm.”
The family appealed last week to the Taliban to release them as a goodwill gesture during Ramadan.
Their daughter said there are “still no charges against them and no evidence of any crime has been submitted”.
“We are, of course, devastated by this delay,” she said. “It makes little sense, especially given that the Taliban have repeatedly stated that this situation is due to misunderstandings, and that they will be released ‘soon’.”
In a statement to the on 24 February, Taliban official Abdul Mateen Qani 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 has shut its embassy in Kabul and withdrew its diplomats from the country after the Taliban returned to power.
The Foreign Office says the government’s ability to help British nationals in Afghanistan is therefore “extremely limited” and advises against all travel to the country.
