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Qatari and British diplomats are pictured with Barbie and Peter Reynolds as they prepare to depart Kabul to Doha on September 19, 2025. (Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs via CNN Newsource)
By Mostafa Salem, CNN
(CNN) — A British couple who had been held in detention by the Taliban in Afghanistan have been released and have flown out of the country, the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement.
Peter, 80, and Barbie Reynolds, who is in her mid-70s, were arrested by the Taliban from their home in Afghanistan’s Bamyan Province in February.
UN experts warned in July that they were “at risk of irreparable harm or even death” as their health had been “deteriorating rapidly.”
The pair have now been released in a Qatari mediated agreement after months of negotiations, an official with knowledge of the matter told CNN on Friday. It’s unclear why the couple were arrested.
They will receive medical checkups in Qatar’s capital, Doha, before traveling on to the United Kingdom.
A “breakthrough” in the case came when the Taliban transferred the Reynolds from Kabul’s central prison – where they were held separately – to a larger, better-equipped facility, reuniting them and ensuring improved conditions “during the final stages of negotiation,” the source added.
The married couple had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years where they were running ‘Rebuild,’ a business providing training services to various companies and organizations throughout the country.
Despite international aid groups withdrawing from Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s oppressive regime and its persecution of women and girls, the Reynolds chose to remain.
“They have always been open about their presence and their work, diligently respecting and obeying the laws as they change,” their children said in a letter to the Taliban, shared in February with The Associated Press.
During his detention, Peter Reynolds was suffering from two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and left arm, raising serious concerns.
Barbie Reynolds had anemia during detention, leaving her weak and frail, likely due to months of inadequate food quality and quantity, UN experts said.
“The Qatari embassy in Kabul provided them with critical support, including access to their doctor, delivery of medication, and regular communication with their family,” the source told CNN.
Qatar has established itself as a pivotal mediator in conflicts between Western powers and their adversaries, facilitating negotiations with groups such as the Taliban and Hamas in complex disputes.
Last week, Israel launched an unprecedented strike targeting Hamas negotiators in the Qatari capital of Doha. The attack angered the Gulf nation, and left the only diplomatic track working to bring a ceasefire to Gaza in limbo.
Following the release of the British couple from Taliban detention, and in what was an apparent reference to the now stalled Gaza mediation, a Qatari official told CNN that “only through diplomacy and mediation can disputes or conflicts be resolved.”
“Attempts to sabotage negotiations or intimidate mediators will not succeed. Positive outcomes are possible, but only if both parties are genuinely committed to reaching them,” they added.
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