Daughter of Taliban-imprisoned British couple fears for health amid court delay

The daughter of an elderly British couple imprisoned in Afghanistan has spoken of her serious concerns about their deteriorating health.

Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested as they travelled to their home in Bamyan province, in central Afghanistan, in February.

Sarah Entwistle said the continued detention of her father “poses a serious risk to his life”.

Mr Reynolds is “experiencing tremors in his head and left arm”, Ms Entwistle told The Times, adding Mrs Reynolds was “collapsing due to malnutrition”.

Mr Reynolds has had a chest infection, a double eye infection and serious digestive problems since he was moved to a maximum security prison, she said.

“We remain extremely concerned for Dad in particular. Without access to the medication he needs, his continued detention poses a serious risk to his life,” she has said previously.

Court proceedings for the couple were scheduled for Saturday but they were returned to their separate prisons after the hearing was delayed.

Ms Entwistle said she was “devastated” by the delay but added guards had “indicated that a different judge would be handling the case”.

“We continue to hope they will receive a fair hearing,” she added.

Mr and Mrs Reynolds have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, where they run school training programmes.

They were arrested alongside Faye Hall, an American friend who had rented a plane to travel with them, and a translator from the couple’s Rebuild training business.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said on Monday: “We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan.”

However, the UK Government has said its ability to provide assistance was “extremely limited” due to the closure of its embassy after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.