The son of a British couple detained by the Taliban has asked US officials to help facilitate their release from a prison in Afghanistan.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie Reynolds, 75, were arrested by Taliban officials on 1 February when they were returning to their home in Afghanistan’s Bamyan province. Their friend – American citizen Faye Hall – and an Afghan interpreter were also arrested but Ms Hall was released on 29 March.
Jonathan Reynolds, their son, said anyone who can secure the release of his parents should “do it now”.
“Anybody who has the ability to unlock that key and let them out, whether it be the Taliban, whether it be the British government or whether it be the American government, I would ask – do it now, please,” Mr Reynolds told the BBC.
“And if you have the ability to put the pressure on the people who hold that key, do it now, please,” he said.
The remarks came shortly after the US facilitated the release of Ms Hall, who was freed last month following a court order and logistical support from Qatar in its role as America’s “protecting power” and diplomatic representative in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. The Taliban called her release a “goodwill gesture” towards president Donald Trump’s administration.
The British couple remain in Taliban custody without any formal charges filed against them. The Taliban has said their initial detention came after a “misunderstanding” that they had fake Afghan passports.
The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970, have been running Rebuild, an organisation that provides education and training programmes for businesses, government agencies and NGOs in Afghanistan for 18 years.
“They’ve been in and out of court, which is infuriating for them because there’s no charges and they are told every single time: yes, they are innocent, it’s just a formality, we’ve made a mistake,” their son said.
Mr Reynolds said he is having “excruciatingly painful” conversations with his parents via a prison payphone. He said they have always “been open” about their work in Afghanistan and sought to work with the Taliban.
In February, Taliban official Abdul Mateen Qani confirmed the detention of the couple and said: “A series of considerations is being taken into account, and after evaluation, we will endeavour to release them as soon as possible”.
In an earlier appeal to the Taliban, the children said: “We sincerely hope that this request will be embraced as a compassionate gesture during the sacred month of Ramadan, a time when the principles of mercy and compassion are especially valued in Islam.”
Their children have previously described the Reynolds’ detention as “unjust and cruel”. They were moved to a maximum security prison after being separated, their daughter Sarah Entwistles told The Independent. Mr Reynolds is in immense pain after he was beaten and shackled by the Taliban, according to his family members.
