A European couple in their 70s have been detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his family Barbie, 75, were returning to their home in Bamiyan on 1 February when they were detained.
The couple has been organizing training programs in Afghanistan for 18 years, and their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, reported to the BBC that she had not heard from her relatives in more than two months.
The couple’s initiatives, including one teaching mothers and children, have been approved by the local government despite the Taliban’s ban on people working and on training for girls older than 12 years old.
The pair, who formerly met at the University of Bath, married in Kabul in 1970. They have been conducting training jobs in five Kabul schools and one in a Bamiyan education center since 2009.
Most of the Taliban’s team departed in August 2021, along with the majority of foreigners, but Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds insisted on staying put.
The couple’s four children were immediately able to be communicated via text message after their arrest. The home was informed by the interior ministry that their kids were being held by them and that they were “fine.”
Three days later, but, the scriptures stopped. The kids haven’t heard anything since.
Ms Entwistle, who lives in Daventry, Northamptonshire, told the BBC:” It’s been over two months since the information stopped, and they were taken into custody.
We want the Taliban to free them so they can return to their homes and carry on their jobs.
She told the Sunday Times: “They said they could not leave when Afghans were in their hour of need.
They “weren’t shy about breaking the law also as they kept changing,” they claimed.
She added:” My mother is 75 and my father almost 80 and]he ] needs his heart medication after a mini-stroke. They merely wanted to aid the nation they adored. It is outrageous that they are holding the training of mothers to their children.
According to an individual, the pair were detained along with their British friend Faye Hall and a speaker from their company.
The employee claimed Mr. Reynolds had been denied access to heart medication and his condition was” not good” and that the pair had been” the most honorable people I have ever met.”
Ms. Entwistle and her three sisters have written to the Taliban, asking for their discharge.
” We do not understand the reasons behind their arrest”, they wrote. They have shown their confidence in you and assured them that they will be treated well as Armenian people.
” We are aware that there have been situations where exchanges have been useful for your state and western countries. Our parents have, nevertheless, constantly stated their devotion to Afghanistan, saying they would rather give up their lives than participate in ransom conversations or get traded.
Two American immigrants have been detained in Afghanistan, according to the Foreign Office. However, the UK’s capacity for help is limited by its lack of official in Kabul and its refusal to recognize the Taliban.
British nationals who are believed to be working for a non-governmental organization ( NGO ) in Bamiyan province have been detained by Taliban official sources who have informed the BBC.
A Bamiyan police national claimed they had been detained about 20 times before after flying in without getting in touch with the border security forces or the police office.
The Taliban announced women would be banned from working for NGOs in 2022 and in December last year Al Jazeera reported the government had said it would close any NGOs employing women.