Condition of British Couple Imprisoned by Taliban Reported as “Horrific”

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An American woman who was detained by the Taliban for a period has described the condition of “Peter,” 80, and “Barbie Reynolds,” 76, the British couple imprisoned by the Taliban, as “horrific.”

Faye Hall, an American-Chinese woman who was held in Taliban prison alongside the couple, told the BBC (September 13) that their health is rapidly deteriorating. According to her, Barbie has lost a significant amount of weight and at one point was unable to stand or walk.

The British couple were arrested by the Taliban in Bamiyan province in February of this year. They had lived in Afghanistan since 2007, had also obtained Afghan citizenship, and ran the “Rebuild” educational company for teaching children and mothers.

The Taliban have confirmed the arrest of the couple but have not yet provided a clear reason for their detention. Their family has repeatedly warned that their parents are “dying.”

Faye Hall, who was released two months after her detention, said: “The health condition of this couple is rapidly worsening and time is running out.”

Despite these warnings, the Taliban deny any mistreatment and claim that the couple’s rights are being respected. However, UN human rights experts have warned that they are at risk of “irreparable harm or death.”

Human rights activists say the detention of Peter and Barbie Reynolds is part of the Taliban’s policy of using foreign nationals as leverage. The couple’s family and the UK Foreign Office have repeatedly called for their immediate release.

However, it remains unclear how many foreign nationals are being held by the Taliban, though the group has so far also detained several foreigners, including Americans.