By Olivier Acuña Barba •
Printed: 23 Jul 2025 • 15:55
• 2 minutes learn
UN calls for their launch, claiming they’re struggling human rights violations. Taliban officers denies its true | Credit score: Reynolds Household
United Nations human rights specialists have insisted on the discharge of the British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who’re each of their 70s, warning they’re susceptible to irreparable well being hurt and even demise in a jail in Kabul underneath Taliban management.
Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who’re of their 70s and who’ve lived within the nation for 18 years, had been arrested in early February after being taken from their residence in central Bamiyan province to the capital, Kabul.
“It’s inhumane to maintain them locked up in such degrading situations and extra worrying when their well being is so fragile,” mentioned the UN specialists, who referred to as for his or her speedy switch to a civilian hospital, Euro Information reported on Wednesday.
In accordance with UN specialists, Reynolds’ time in detention included durations in a maximum-security facility and in underground cells, earlier than being transferred to above-ground cells on the Basic Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
Launch is underway
Taliban International Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi refuted the UN’s feedback. “They’re in fixed contact with their households,” he instructed reporters at a media briefing in Kabul on Wednesday.
“Consular companies can be found. Efforts are underway to safe their launch. These steps haven’t but been accomplished. Their human rights are being revered. They’re being given full entry to remedy, contact and lodging,” Muttaqi added.
Peter wants coronary heart remedy and, throughout his detention, suffered two eye infections in addition to intermittent tremors in his head and down his left arm, his son. He not too long ago collapsed, the UN assertion added, whereas Barbie suffers from anaemia and stays weak.
Their son Jonathan Reynolds mentioned their well being was quickly deteriorating, along with his father struggling critical convulsions and his mom “numb” from anaemia and malnutrition.
Chained to murderers
“My dad was chained to murderers and criminals,” he instructed BBC Radio 4’s In the present day programme, including that that they had at one level been held in a basement for six weeks with out daylight, and never allowed out.
The couple’s grownup youngsters issued a press release on Sunday, stating that Peter and Barbie haven’t any mattress or furnishings and sleep on a mattress on the ground. Peter’s face is purple, peeling and bleeding, seemingly as a result of return of pores and skin most cancers that urgently wants eradicating, they mentioned.
“We, their 4 grownup youngsters, have written privately to the Taliban management twice, pleading for them to uphold their beliefs of compassion, mercy, equity, and human dignity,” the kids mentioned.
Officers from the UK International, Commonwealth and Improvement Workplace (FCDO) visited the couple final week, the household mentioned. “We’re supporting the household of two British nationals who’re detained in Afghanistan,” an FCDO spokesperson mentioned.
Don’t journey to Afghanistan
The UK shut its embassy in Kabul and withdrew its diplomats from the nation after the Taliban returned to energy in 2021.
The FCDO mentioned help for British nationals in Afghanistan is due to this fact “severely restricted” and advises to not journey to the nation.