Sawt Falasteen - Elderly British couple to fly home after release by Taliban

Taliban authorities arrested Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, in February as they were returning to their home in Bamiyan province, central Afghanistan.

Following concerns for their health, the pair were freed on Friday and flown to the Qatari capital Doha.

They are expected to leave for London on a commercial flight on Saturday after completing medical checks.

The Reynoldses married in Kabul in 1970 and have spent almost two decades living in Afghanistan, running educational programmes for women and children. They also became Afghan citizens.

When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, they remained in Afghanistan against the advice of the British embassy.

The Taliban have not explained why the pair were detained, and Qatar brokered the negotiations for their release.

Speaking on the tarmac at Kabul airport on Friday, Barbie Reynolds said the couple had been treated well and were "looking forward to seeing our children".

"We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can. We are Afghan citizens," she added.

They were embraced by family members on arriving in Doha, with their daughter Sarah Entwistle telling AFPTV she was "overwhelmed with gratitude and relief".

The couple were first held in a maximum security facility, "then in underground cells, without daylight, before being transferred" to the intelligence services in Kabul, UN experts have said.

In July, independent UN human rights experts called on the Taliban government to free them, warning that they risked "irreparable harm or even death" as their health deteriorated.

The couple's family had made repeated pleas for their release, citing their failing health.

Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on Friday that the couple "had violated the laws of Afghanistan" and were released from custody "following the judicial process".

The Reynolds' four children hailed their parents' release but said they face a "long" recovery.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the "long-awaited news will come as a huge relief" to the family.

The British government advises citizens against travelling to Afghanistan, warning that its ability to offer consular assistance is "extremely limited".

Russia is the only country to have officially recognised the Taliban government, which has imposed a strict version of Islamic law and been accused of sweeping human rights violations.

Dozens of foreign nationals have been arrested since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 following the NATO pullout.

O.Mousa--SF-PST