British couple freed from Afghan prison after eight months

Qatari mediation secured the release of a British couple, Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife, Barbie Reynolds, 76, who Afghan authorities had arrested on February 1 while returning home, after nearly eight months in prison.

Qatar officials first transferred the couple from Kabul Central Prison to another detention facility during negotiations and will take them to Doha for medical checks before sending them to the UK, Daily Mail reports.

The Reynolds' release was the result of extensive public appeals by their family. For several months, the family appealed to the government and international organisations for assistance.

They had lived in Bomen province for nearly twenty years. Educators Barbie and Peter Reynolds, married in Kabul in 1970, chose to stay in Afghanistan when the Taliban returned in August 2021, saying they “could not leave when Afghans were in their hour of need,” and together run "Rebuild", an organisation providing education and training programmes for civilians, including mothers and children.

By Tamilla Hasanova