London: A British couple in their 70s, who were running education programs in Afghanistan, have been detained by the Taliban administration, according to their daughter. She has urged the British government to take all necessary steps to secure their release.
Barbie and Peter Reynolds, aged 75 and 79, were taken into custody by the Taliban’s interior ministry on February 1, as reported by their daughter Sarah Entwistle, who resides in central England.
In an interview with Times Radio on Monday, Entwistle explained that her parents initially communicated via text messages after their detention, assuring their four children that they were okay. However, all contact ceased three days later.
"Our parents have always shown respect toward the Taliban, and we were hoping they would explain the reasons for this detention. But after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait," she said.
"We are now urgently calling on the British consulate to do everything in their power to provide us with answers and to exert as much pressure as possible on the Taliban to secure their release."
The UK’s Foreign Office confirmed on Monday that it was "supporting the family of two British nationals detained in Afghanistan," though it did not elaborate further.
The BBC, citing Taliban sources, reported on Sunday that two British nationals, who are believed to have been working for a non-governmental organization in the central Afghan province of Bamiyan, had been arrested. An official was quoted as saying they were detained approximately 20 days ago for using a plane without informing local authorities.
The Taliban administration has not responded to requests for comment.
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Western nations, including Britain and the United States, have closed their embassies and withdrawn their diplomats.
The UK government advises its citizens against traveling to Afghanistan, citing the risk of detention.
According to The Sunday Times, the couple had been managing school projects in Afghanistan for 18 years and chose to remain in the country even after the Taliban regained control.
The British Press Association (PA) news agency reported that the couple was arrested alongside a Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, and a translator from their training business.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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