Brit pensioners in Taliban jail chained to ‘killers and demon-possessed man’
Peter Reynolds, 79, and wife Barbie, 76, have been being held in Pul-e-Charkhi maximum-security prison in Kabul since February. Peter has now spoken about their horrific ordeal
A British couple being held captive in a Taliban prison have said “it’s the nearest thing to hell” they can imagine.
Peter Reynolds, 79, and wife Barbie, 76, have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and opted to remain there even when the Taliban took back control in 2021. They were arrested in February as the murderous terror group-turned government became unhappy with the business they were running.
Peter and Barbie got married in Afghanistan in 1970 and later in life decided to move to the country they loved. The pair ran a company called Rebuild, which provided training to schools and businesses.
They are being held in Pul-e-Charkhi maximum-security prison in Kabul — a place crawling with the worst sorts.
Peter told the Times: “I’ve been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.
“The atmosphere is pretty shocking. The prison guards … beat people with a piece of piping. It’s a horrible atmosphere, the nearest thing to hell I can imagine.”
The couple were separated with Barbie being moved to an “undisclosed location”. Her jail conditions are said to be even worse than Peter’s, reports Mirror.
They were originally detained with their interpreter and American friend Faye Hall close to their home in Bamiyan. There, they were interrogated about their passports and documentation before being banged up.
Faye was later released after the Taliban decided to make a “goodwill gesture” to Donald Trump. Their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, said her dad’s health has “significantly deteriorated”, since being locked up.
She said at the time: “We hear he now has a chest infection, a double eye infection and serious digestive issues due to poor nutrition. Without immediate access to necessary medication, his life is in serious danger.”
A Taliban official, Abdul Mateen Qani, last month told the BBC: “A series of considerations is being taken into account, and after evaluation, we will endeavour to release them as soon as possible.”
However, a month later they remain behind bars.
After Faye’s release, their son, Jonathan has called on the White House to step in to help his parents, saying it is “harrowing and exhausting” for their family.
He said: “Anybody who has the ability to unlock that key and let them out, whether it be the Taliban, whether it be the British government or whether it be the American government, I would ask — do it now, please.
“And if you have the ability to put the pressure on the people who hold that key, do it now, please.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
