United Nations human rights experts have called for immediate release of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, a British couple detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, citing concerns over their deteriorating health and lack of legal and medical access.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were detained by the Taliban’s Interior Ministry on February 1. Despite initial assurances by Taliban officials that the arrest was a misunderstanding and that the couple would be released soon, they remain in custody more than five months later.
According to the experts, the couple was initially held in a maximum-security facility before being transferred to underground cells without access to sunlight. They were recently moved to another detention site at the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul.
The UN experts said both detainees are in poor physical and mental health. Peter Reynolds, who requires heart medication, has reportedly suffered eye infections and tremors and recently experienced fainting. Barbie Reynolds has reportedly shown signs of physical weakness and numbness in her legs and is believed to suffer from anaemia.
The experts said the couple has not had access to effective legal representation or sufficient medical care. Contact with their family has also been extremely limited.
The UN experts said the prolonged detention without charge or due process amounts to inhumane treatment. They added that the psychological impact of indefinite confinement is severe and has raised concerns under international human rights standards.
UN officials said they have raised the case with both the Taliban and the British government and will continue to monitor developments.
