Afghanistan Freedom Front Attacks Taliban Morality Police Office In Kunduz

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.

Government spokesperson Stefan Cornelius confirmed that Sayed Mustafa Hashemi and Nabrasul Haq Aziz have been designated as second secretaries to serve at the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn. The decision comes in the wake of a recent deportation flight that returned 81 Afghans to Kabul.

The move aims to streamline logistical and documentation processes for future repatriation flights. According to officials, the primary focus remains on deporting individuals identified as security threats or convicted of criminal offenses.

Despite this arrangement, the German government reiterated that it does not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate governing authority of Afghanistan under international law. Contacts with the group remain at a strictly technical level.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said diplomatic ties with Afghanistan have not been fully severed, but formal recognition of the Taliban administration is not under consideration.

According to the Taliban’s state-run media, Al-Issa was welcomed by Abdul Salam Hanafi, the group’s deputy prime minister for administrative affairs.

The visit comes amid international concern over the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls, particularly the ongoing ban on female education beyond the sixth grade. Al-Issa has previously spoken against such prohibitions, stating that Islam does not oppose the education of girls.

During his stay, Al-Issa is expected to meet with Taliban leaders, including acting Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, to discuss strengthening ties between the Taliban and the Muslim World League, as well as broader issues concerning the Islamic world.

The Taliban announced that Al-Issa would also hold separate meetings with Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss bilateral relations and matters related to the Muslim community globally.

The warning, released Monday by local authorities, states that those who fail to comply will face serious legal action. Pakistan’s federal officials have not yet commented on the directive.

The announcement comes amid growing concerns among Afghan migrants in Pakistan, many of whom say the country’s Interior Ministry suspended the visa renewal process for Afghans three weeks ago.

Last week, reports surfaced of 150 Afghan nationals with valid Proof of Registration (PoR) cards being detained and deported from Islamabad.

Pakistan and Iran have both intensified deportation operations targeting Afghan migrants in recent weeks, raising alarms among humanitarian organisations.

Officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice have reportedly declared the sale of a range of toys as impermissible. Shopkeepers in the province were instructed to remove the prohibited items from their shelves.

Since returning to power nearly four years ago, the Taliban have steadily restricted various recreational activities and entertainment products across Afghanistan. The recent ban is part of a broader campaign by the authorities to impose stricter interpretations of their social codes.

The ministry has also stepped up enforcement in Kabul, where dozens of girls have been detained in recent days. Authorities have not provided public justification for the arrests.