After eight months in prison: British couple returns from Afghanistan!

After eight months in prison: British couple returns from Afghanistan!

A British couple, Barbara, 76, and Peter Reynolds, 80, have arrived in Britain after almost eight months in detention in Afghanistan. They landed at Heathrow Airport on Saturday and were welcomed by relatives and the media. Their release, brokered by Qatar, sparks a wave of relief after the couple were arrested in February 2025 while on their way to their home in Bamiyan province. The exact reason for the arrest was not disclosed by the Taliban, but they were reportedly accused of using a plane without informing local authorities, according to Tagesschau.de.

The couple were initially held in underground cells in a high-security prison and were later transferred to a secret service detention center in Kabul. While incarcerated, the Reynolds received medical care and had regular contact with their family. The health situation of Barbara and Peter had worried relatives, who had repeatedly called for their release since their arrest and accused the Taliban of ill-treatment, which was rejected by the Taliban.

Mediation by Qatar

Qatar played a key role in the release of the couple, who have been actively seeking to free imprisoned foreigners since the Taliban came to power in August 2021. Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Kahar Balchi confirmed the release after a court hearing, but did not give specific reasons for the detention. The Reynolds lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and founded an aid organization in the country that supports educational projects.

Human rights situation in Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated dramatically since the Taliban came to power. The human rights situation is alarming, with the systematic disenfranchisement of women and girls and the virtual abolition of freedom of expression. Arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment are commonplace. Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, warns that living conditions for people in the country have deteriorated significantly. The federal government is also planning to end humanitarian reception programs, which could further aggravate the situation for many people at risk, as Institute for Human Rights reports.

Human rights organizations and experts are calling for legal escape routes for groups at risk now that Afghanistan is being classified as unsafe. The planned deportations could be seen as a breach of international law regarding the ban on refoulement, which prohibits returns to countries where there is a risk of torture or inhumane treatment.