Taliban authorities have detained two British nationals, a Chinese-American citizen, and their Afghan translator, Afghanistan’s interior ministry confirmed Monday night, after the daughter of the British couple urged the UK government to intervene for their release.
Ministry spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani told news outlet AFP that the individuals were detained “based on certain considerations” and that efforts were ongoing to resolve the matter.
However, he did not disclose details about their condition or the reasons for their detention, adding only that “details will be released shortly.”
The confirmation follows Sarah Entwistle, urged the British government to do “everything in their power” to secure the release of her parents, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, during an interview with the British media. The couple, who have lived in Afghanistan for decades, were allegedly arrested on 1 February in Bamiyan province, home to the giant Buddhas that were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.
Family appeals for help
Entwistle revealed that she and her three brothers initially refrained from contacting UK authorities, “hoping to hear directly from the Taliban about why they’d arrested our parents,” she told Times Radio.
“Our parents have always sought to honour the Taliban, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to explain their reasons for this detention.”
“However, after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait. We’re now urgently calling on the British consulate to put as much pressure as possible on the Taliban for their release,” she added.
‘Outrageous’ arrest
The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970, chose to remain in Afghanistan even after the Taliban came to power in 2021, despite the withdrawal of British embassy staff.
According to The Sunday Times, the couple’s detention may be linked to their work teaching parenting skills to mothers over 30.
“My mother is 75, and my father is almost 80. He needs his heart medication after suffering a mini-stroke,” Entwistle told the newspaper.
“They were just trying to help the country they loved. The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous.”
The couple were reportedly arrested while returning to their home in Bamiyan.
In an open letter to Taliban authorities quoted by the Sunday Times, their children pleaded for their release, “We do not understand the reasons behind their arrest,” adding “Our parents have consistently expressed their commitment to Afghanistan.”
Foreigners held by Taliban
Last month, former Canadian soldier David Lavery was released after two months in captivity following negotiations brokered by Qatar.
Before that, two Americans—Ryan Corbett and William McKenty—were freed in exchange for an Afghan fighter convicted of narco-terrorism in the US. However, two other Americans, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, remain in Taliban custody.
Since retaking control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have imposed strict Islamic laws, rolling back freedoms, particularly for women and girls. Girls are banned from education beyond age 12, and women face severe restrictions in the workplace and public life—policies the United Nations has described as “gender apartheid.”