Taliban confirm British couple in their 70s arrested in Afghanistan

A British couple in their 70s have lost contact with their family after being detained by the Taliban early this month, their children say. (Source: Rebuild Consultants)

The Taliban on Monday confirmed the arrest of a British couple in their 70s in Afghanistan after a plea from their children for their release.

The four adult children of Peter and Barbie Reynolds said their parents have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, remaining after the Taliban toppled the Western-backed government in 2021.

The couple run Afghanistan-based Rebuild, an organization that provides education and training programs for businesses, government agencies, educational organizations and nongovernmental groups.

The Sunday Times, which first reported the arrests, said one project was for mothers and children. The Taliban has severely restricted women’s education and activities.

Sarah Entwistle, one of the couple’s children, called for a boycott of England’s ICC Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan being held in Pakistan on Tuesday to pressure the Taliban into releasing her parents. She also urged the British consulate to do everything in their power to help.

“Our parents have always sought to honour the Taliban, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to explain their reasons for this detention,” Entwistle told Times Radio. “However, after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait.”

The couple, along with another foreigner and a local, were taken from central Bamiyan province to the capital Kabul over three weeks ago.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said four people had been arrested: two British citizens with Afghan identity cards and passports, a Chinese-American citizen and their translator, who was trying to resolve the matter.

He gave no further details about the four and did not respond to requests for more information.