British Couple Freed After 7 Months in Taliban Custody Return Home

A British couple detained by the Taliban for more than seven months arrived back in the UK on Saturday after their release from prison in Afghanistan.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, aged 80 and 76, were pictured smiling as they walked through Heathrow Airport with their daughter and Britain’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Richard Lindsay.

The couple, who lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades and ran an education and training program in Bamiyan province, were arrested in February while traveling home. They were held in a maximum-security facility and endured long stretches of separation.

“We had begun to think that we would never be released, or that we were being held until we were executed,” Peter Reynolds told The Times. His wife described the ordeal as “seeing my 80-year-old husband struggling to get into the back of a police truck with his hands and ankles chained.”

Their children said the release was a reminder of “the power of diplomacy, empathy and international cooperation,” adding that the family faced a long road of recovery but felt “tremendous joy and relief.” Qatar played a key role in securing their freedom amid growing fears about the couple’s health.

The Taliban, who have not explained why the couple was detained, said the pair “violated Afghan laws” but were freed “following the judicial process.” Analysts believe the move, facilitated by Qatari mediation, may be part of Kabul’s broader push for international legitimacy.

The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970 and later became Afghan citizens, expressed hopes of returning. “We are Afghan citizens,” Barbie Reynolds said before leaving Kabul.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the release “long-awaited news” and a “huge relief” for the family. Britain continues to advise against travel to Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s government remains internationally unrecognized and has faced criticism for sweeping human rights abuses.