Taliban Transfers Detained British Couple To Maximum Security Prison

Sarah Entwistle, the daughter of a detained British couple in Afghanistan, has said that the Taliban has moved her parents to a maximum security prison and separated them.

Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested by the Taliban on 2 February while returning to their home in Bamiyan.

Entwistle has expressed deep concern over her parents' health condition and described their detention as "cruel." She told The Sunday Times that the Taliban has informed her mother that she cannot see her husband. She added that her father has been taken to an undisclosed location in a heavily guarded prison, and his health has "deteriorated significantly."

She fears that her father suffers from a chest infection, an eye infection, and severe digestive issues due to poor nutrition. Without immediate access to essential medication, she believes his life is in grave danger.

Entwistle claimed that her father has been beaten and shackled during his detention. She called for the immediate release of her parents, saying, "Our desperate appeal to the Taliban is that they release them to their home, where they have the medication he needs to survive."

She added that her family, including her three brothers, has learned that male prisoners in Taliban custody receive three meals a day, while female inmates are given only one.

The Daily Mail previously reported that the couple was arrested for "teaching parenting skills to Afghan mothers." However, the Taliban claimed they were detained due to a "misunderstanding" over allegedly holding fake Afghan passports. The Sunday Times also suggested they were arrested for conducting a course that trained women in maternal skills.

Entwistle refuted the allegations, stating that her parents had official permission for their programme. She also noted that her mother was the first woman to receive a certificate of appreciation from the Taliban.

Earlier, The Telegraph quoted sources suggesting that the Haqqani network detained the British couple as a "political move" to exert international pressure on Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior confirmed the arrest on 26 February. Abdul Mateen Qani, the ministry's spokesperson, said authorities were investigating the case and would work to release the British nationals "as soon as possible."

The couple has been running Rebuild, an organisation in Afghanistan that provides educational training for businesses, schools, and non-governmental groups.

The Daily Mail previously reported that the Taliban had searched their home to determine whether Peter and Barbie were involved in religious proselytisation.

Their children stated that their parents married in Kabul in 1970 and have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years.