British couple detained by Taliban ‘may die in prison,’ son warns
The son of an elderly British couple held by the Taliban in Afghanistan has warned that his parents’ lives are in grave danger as their health deteriorates in detention.
Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, were arrested on February 1 while returning to their home in Bamiyan province, where they have lived for 18 years running education projects. Their son, Jonathan Reynolds, told the BBC that his father is suffering severe convulsions while his mother is “numb” from anaemia and malnutrition, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
“They could die in such degrading conditions if they don’t get medical care,” Jonathan said, citing warnings from the UN’s human rights body. The couple, who have Afghan citizenship, were reportedly deemed innocent by a judge and face no official charges.
Jonathan Reynolds described how his father, who has a history of minor heart attacks, now exhibits tremors and shakes resembling early Parkinson’s symptoms. “My dad spent half an hour convulsing on the prison floor before a guard helped him onto a thin mattress,” he said. Barbie Reynolds is also in critical condition, with blue hands and feet due to malnutrition and anaemia.
The couple spent six weeks in a basement without sunlight and have both celebrated birthdays in prison. Last week, they marked their 55th wedding anniversary behind bars. “I’m thankful they were together, but they’re certainly not free,” Jonathan said.
The United Nations has called their detention “inhumane” and demanded the couple’s immediate transfer to a civilian hospital. “Without access to adequate medical care, they are at risk of irreparable harm or even death,” the UN statement read.
A Taliban spokesperson previously told the BBC that the couple would be released “as soon as possible,” but no timeline has been confirmed. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) continues to liaise with the family, although consular support in Afghanistan is severely limited since the closure of the British embassy in Kabul in 2021.
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