|
Listen to article
|
An elderly British couple has been taken into custody by the Taliban in Afghanistan, allegedly for teaching good parenting practices to mothers. The arrest has sparked concerns among international observers about the risks faced by foreign aid workers and educators in the region.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were arrested by the Taliban on February 1 after arriving back at their home in Bamiyan province, Mail Online has reported. Their detention has raised alarm among international observers, with concerns mounting over their safety.
For the last 18 years, the couple has been operating training schools in Afghanistan. Amid their detention, they were able to text their four children, reassuring them that they were in the custody of the interior ministry and were unharmed.
Three days after their last message, communication with the Reynolds suddenly ceased, sparking growing concern among their family members. Their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, expressed her distress, saying, “This is really bad.” Meanwhile, The Sunday Times reported that the Taliban had raided the couple’s home and questioned their staff, suspecting them of engaging in religious proselytization.
Having tied the knot in Kabul in 1970, the couple was urged to leave the country following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Yet, they refused, insisting they could not abandon Afghanistan when its people needed them the most.
Read also: Children Of UK Couple Detained In Afghanistan Appeal To Taliban
Barbie was even honoured by the Taliban to become the first woman to receive a certificate of appreciation after they were ‘impressed and inspired’ by the programmes the couple offered.
Mrs Entwistle, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, said. ‘My mother is 75 and my father almost 80 and [he] needs his heart medication after a mini-stroke.
‘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 Reynolds have dual citizenship and run five schools in Kabul, which includes a mothers and children training programme reportedly approved by authorities.
Mrs Entwistle and her three brothers have written an open letter to the Taliban urging for their mother and father to be released.
The worried daughter has insisted her parents have done nothing wrong and ‘were meticulous about keeping by the rules’.
