The family of a British couple in the 1970s who were detained in Afghanistan expressed their fears for their health after the delay in appearance in court.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested on February 1 while returning home in the province of Bamiyan.
They were taken from prison for legal proceedings on Saturday and spent four hours sitting on the ground, chained to other prisoners before returning to prison, according to their daughter.
Sarah Entwistle added that her mother “collapsed because of malnutrition” and that her father’s health “decreased”, saying that they had “no accusation against them”.
She said that on Saturday, the couple had been informed “at the last minute” that they would not be seen by the judge.
“The guards said that another judge would now take care of the case, and we continue to hope that they will receive a fair hearing in the coming week,” she said.
The couple is detained separately and did not see each other on Saturday.
Before their arrest, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, who married the Afghan capital Kabul in 1970, have led training projects in Afghanistan for 18 years – including the one who involved the training of mothers and children.
Their work had apparently been approved by local authorities despite the Taliban prohibiting the education of girls over 12 years old and not allowing women to work.
The Taliban announced that women would be prohibited from working for non -governmental organizations (NGOs) in 2022, and in December 2024, he said that he would close all NGOs employing women.
According to her daughter, Ms. Reynolds receives only one meal per day and needed help to climb the four stairs to the room where the judge is seated, according to her daughter.
“Mom’s health is deteriorating quickly, and is collapsing due to malnutrition,” she said. “She and other women receive only one meal a day, while men receive three.”
She added: “Papa’s health is also still down, and it experiences tremors in the head and the left arm.”
The family called on the Taliban last week to release them as a gesture of good will during Ramadan.
Their daughter said that there was “still no accusation against them and no evidence of a crime had been submitted”.
“We are of course devastated by this delay,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense, especially since the Taliban have said on several occasions that this situation is due to misunderstandings and that they will be published” soon “.”
In a statement to the BBC on February 24, the Taliban manager, Abdul Mateen Qani, said: “A series of considerations is taken into account, and after assessment, we will endeavor to release them as soon as possible.”
The United Kingdom closed its embassy in Kabul and withdrew its diplomats from the country after the return of the Taliban in power.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that the government’s ability to help British nationals in Afghanistan is therefore “extremely limited” and advises all trips to the country.
