British Couple Freed from Kabul Detention Describe Harsh Conditions

A British couple held in Bamyan, Afghanistan, for seven-and-a-half months returned home, describing severe detention conditions and experiencing a profound cultural shock.

Peter, 80, and his wife Barbie Reynolds, 76, ran a charitable program in Afghanistan for nearly two decades. They were arrested on February 1, 2025, along with a friend and their translator, after arriving in Bamiyan province on a chartered flight from Kabul.

The couple was detained in ten different prisons and were told only that they had violated Afghan laws. The Taliban never disclosed the exact reasons for their arrest.

BBC reported on Saturday, Febraury 14, that the couple described the experience as traumatic. Barbie said she was housed in a prison with 240 women, while other facilities contained women and 40 children, often in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.

Barbie described severe food shortages, noting she received only one meal per day during Ramadan, and later the same portion was split into two meals. She suffered malnutrition and anemia, appearing 20 years older upon release.

Peter and Barbie were freed in September 2025 after mediation by Qatar. Despite their release, the psychological and physical toll of months in detention has left lasting effects.

The couple emphasized that the detention conditions were harsh, with broken bathrooms, overflowing sewage, and limited space, reflecting the severe hardships faced by those imprisoned by the Taliban.

The US deputy representative at the United Nations Security Council recently stated that the Taliban use foreign detainees as leverage in negotiations, highlighting a broader pattern of hostage-taking.

The Reynolds’ ordeal sheds light on the ongoing risks faced by foreign nationals in Afghanistan and underscores the international community’s concerns over the treatment of detainees.

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