Kabul/Doha, September 19, 2025 (Agencies): An elderly British couple held by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly eight months have been released following diplomatic mediation by Qatar, officials confirmed on Friday.
Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, who have lived in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province for almost 20 years, were detained on February 1 while traveling home. The couple were initially held in Kabul’s central prison before being transferred to a larger facility in the final phase of negotiations.
Qatari officials said the pair will first travel to Doha for medical examinations before flying onward to the United Kingdom. “We are pleased to have facilitated their release and safe passage,” a Qatari mediator said, emphasizing Qatar’s ongoing efforts to act as a neutral interlocutor between the Taliban and Western governments.
The release comes after months of public campaigning by the couple’s family and renewed international pressure. Just last week, Faye Hall, an American woman who had been detained with the couple and released earlier, warned that they were “literally dying” in prison and that “time is running out” for them.
Family members expressed relief at the news and thanked Qatari authorities for their intervention, but said they remained concerned about the couple’s health after reports of their deteriorating condition while in custody.
Western diplomats said the case highlights ongoing challenges in securing consular access and humanitarian treatment for foreign nationals detained under Taliban rule.