Retired British couple who run education programmes for mothers arrested by Taliban in Afghanistan
Peter Reynolds, 79 and his wife Barbie, 75 have been arrested by the Taliban after living in Afghanistan for 18 years and running education programmes which are attended by women.
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Since it returned to power three years ago, the Taliban has banned most women from education, with more than 1.4 million teenage girls not allowed to go to school.
But the British couple run Rebuild, an organisation that provides education programmes which are attended by both men and women, with pictures showing mothers taking part in the programmes on Rebuild’s website.
Their organisation runs training courses for businesses, government agencies, NGOs and individuals.
One of the courses they offer focuses on parenting skills for young mothers, and had supposedly been approved by authorities despite the Taliban’s repression of women’s education.
The couple’s four adult children said their parents got married in Kabul in 1970, and have lived in the country for the last 18 years - choosing to stay even after the Taliban’s shock return to power in 2021.
But Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1, as they arrived at their home in Nayak, Bamiyan province.
Their house was raided and employees working for Rebuild were interrogated by police, who reportedly suspected them of being missionaries.
After their arrest, the couple kept in touch with their children via text message, but their texts stopped after three days leaving their children concerned about their parents.
Their daughter Sarah Entwistle told the Sunday Times: “This is really bad. My mother is 75 and my father almost 80 and [he] needs his heart medication after a mini-stroke.
"They were just trying to help the country they loved. The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous.”
Ms Entwistle and her three brothers have now appealed to senior Taliban leadership in an open letter calling for their parents’ release.
The children added that they did not understand why their parents were arrested and pointed to their parents’ education programs, which are aimed at “[preparing] young people for the future THEY will live in, IN Afghanistan,” according to their website.
The couple chose to stay after many people left the country in 2021, and Barbie even received an honour from the Taliban - the first woman to do so.
Ms Entwhistle added: "They said they could not leave when Afghans were in their hour of need. They were meticulous about keeping by the rules even as they kept changing.
"The Taliban leaders were so impressed and inspired by the programmes Mum and Dad were offering, they said they would like them set up in every province of Afghanistan. Mum was the first woman to receive a certificate of appreciation; from the Taliban."
The family has got in touch with the Foreign Office but officials are struggling to offer assistance as the UK does not recognise the Taliban government, and has no embassy in Kabul.