Elderly UK Couple In Taliban Custody, Family's "Before It's Too Late" Plea

The children of an elderly British couple imprisoned in Afghanistan have implored the Taliban to release their parents, adding their deteriorating health puts them at risk of dying in custody.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife, Barbie Reynolds, 76, were arrested by Taliban authorities on February 1 while travelling to their home in Bamyan province, central Afghanistan. The couple have lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades and have run education and training programmes through their charity.

Their children, who live in the UK and the US, say the couple have now been held without charge for five-and-a-half months and are suffering from serious medical conditions.

"This is another urgent plea to the Taliban to release our parents before it is too late and they die in their custody. They have dedicated their lives to the people of Afghanistan for the last 18 years," the Reynolds children said, as per The Guardian.

They revealed that up until eight weeks ago, Ms Barbie and Mr Peter were being held separately in Pul-e-Charkhi, a maximum-security prison in Kabul, before being transferred to a detention facility operated by the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI). They promised to release them within days. It remains unfulfilled.

A remote medical assessment by a cardiologist showed Mr Reynolds may have suffered a stroke or a silent heart attack in detention. Ms Reynolds continues to struggle with numbness in her feet, which has been linked to anaemia, the family reported.

The couple, who had their 55th wedding anniversary this week, are reportedly sleeping on mattresses on the floor with no furniture, though their conditions at the GDI are said to be somewhat better than in their previous prison.

One of their daughters, Sarah Entwistle, said the family kept quiet until now, hoping to negotiate privately and respecting Taliban processes.

"For the past two months, we have maintained a media blackout, hoping to demonstrate our intention to show respect to the Taliban, and 'trust the process'," she said.

"The UN will be making a statement on Monday calling for the immediate release. In the light of this, we are also publicly appealing again to the Taliban for this."

The last communication the children had with their parents was five weeks ago. UK Foreign Office officials were allowed to visit the couple in detention last Thursday to check on their welfare. The UK government has said it continues to press for their release through diplomatic channels.

No formal charges have been announced against the Reynolds. 

The family said they had previously written privately to the Taliban leadership on two occasions, apart from issuing earlier public appeals.

The Taliban earlier said the case was not "anything serious". Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said that they would be "treated according to sharia", or Islamic law.

The United Nations is expected to issue a statement on July 21, calling for the couple's immediate release.