An elderly British couple imprisoned in Afghanistan have faced 29 “interrogations” and several court appearances – while no charges have been brought against them, their daughter has said.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested as they travelled to their home in Bamyan province, in central Afghanistan, in February.
The couple were detained alongside Faye Hall, an American friend who had rented a plane to travel with them, and a translator from the couple’s Rebuild training business.
Their daughter, Susie Romer, told Channel 5’s 5 News on Thursday that the pair had “absolutely no idea” why they are being imprisoned and called on the UK government to do more to secure their release.
The daughter of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, a British couple currently being held by the Taliban, has told 5 News in an exclusive interview that she urges the UK government to do more to secure their release.
— Channel 5 News (@5_News) April 10, 2025
Susie Romer says her parents have lived in Afghanistan for over 18… pic.twitter.com/Rs3gn58rgQ
She said: “They’ve been through so many investigations – I believe it’s 29 interrogations that they’ve had to endure.
“They’ve been in court three or four times now, I believe, and various accusations that have been brought against them, they’ve been thoroughly investigated and shown up as empty accusations.
“So they’ve been told that there is not actually a charge against them.”
Ms Romer went on to say that while the British government has been assisting the family, she is not convinced that the message that her parents should be “immediately released” has been conveyed by the Government to the Taliban.
She said the family had met Foreign Officer minister Hamish Falconer, who had told them the case was a “priority” for him.
Ms Romer continued: “We do want the Government to make it clear to the Taliban that my parents should be immediately released and we’ve told them this.
“It’s been 10 weeks now, and we’ve not been reassured that this message has been conveyed, but this is really urgent.
“Each day that they remain in prison, they’re at risk, so we’ll keep on asking the Government to send that message.”
Ms Romer added that the conditions her parents were being held in were “absolutely horrific”, that they were receiving one meal per day and there were mice and cockroaches “running around”.
She said that hearing her parents “weep” on the phone was “excruciating” for her.
In an interview with BBC News last week, their son, Jonathan Reynolds, said he had been “interacting” with the US government after a video plea to President Donald Trump for help to get his parents released.
The couple, who originally met at the University of Bath, married in Kabul in 1970 and have run school training programmes for 18 years.
They remained in the country after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
After taking power, the Taliban introduced a ban on women working and education for girls older than 12.
In a statement to The Associated Press this week, the Taliban said the case “will soon be resolved” and “should not be a cause for concern”.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan.”
