Sawt Falasteen - British couple released by Taliban say feared execution

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, arrived on a flight from the Qatari capital Doha, where they had stayed for medical checks following their release on Friday.

Barbie Reynolds smiled broadly as the couple walked out of the arrivals area at London's Heathrow airport, accompanied by their daughter and British special representative to Afghanistan Richard Lindsay.

After their return, Peter Reynolds told The Times that the couple had "begun to think that we would never be released, or that we were even being held until we were executed".

"We are bewildered as to why any of this happened and are very happy that this ordeal is over," he said.

For her part, Barbie said the toughest thing about the affair was "seeing my 80-year-old husband struggling to get into the back of a police truck with his hands and ankles chained".

Their family has spoken of their "immense joy" on hearing that the Reynolds were released, and there were emotional scenes when they arrived in Doha on a flight from Kabul to be met by their daughter.

"This experience has reminded us of the power of diplomacy, empathy and international cooperation," their four children said in a joint statement on Friday.

"While the road to recovery will be long as our parents regain their health and spend time with their family, today is a day of tremendous joy and relief."

Qatar played a key role in helping to free the couple after mounting fears about their health.

The couple were arrested in February as they were returning to their home in Bamiyan province, central Afghanistan.

They 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.

The couple 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, the couple remained in Afghanistan against the advice of the British embassy.

- 'Afghan citizens' -

The Taliban authorities have not explained why the pair were detained.

Speaking at Kabul airport on Friday before they left, Barbie Reynolds said the couple had been treated well.

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

Their son, Jonathan, echoed to the BBC that his parents were hoping to return to the country they love.

"They have not just a heart for the people of Afghanistan, but they have strategy as well, and the work they've been doing has been very fruitful and has a massively positive impact," he said.

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

Their family had made repeated pleas for their release, citing their failing health.

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

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

The British government advises 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 rights violations.

Dozens of foreign nationals have been arrested since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces.

N.Awad--SF-PST