LONDON: The daughter of an elderly British couple being held in Afghanistan has called on the UK government to publicly condemn the Taliban over the detention.
Peter and Barbie Reynolds, both of whom are also Afghan citizens, were arrested in February as they returned to their home in Bamiyan province. They are accused of traveling on fake passports.
An American woman, Faye Hall, who was detained along with the couple was released last week after US officials reached a deal with Afghan authorities.
Sarah Entwistle, the daughter of the Reynolds, told The Telegraph newspaper that the family wants UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to make a public statement condemning the Taliban for detaining her parents “without any evidence of wrongdoing.”
She said that if US authorities were able to secure Hall’s release, the UK government should be able to do the same for her parents.
“We understand that there have been reasons for caution over previous weeks but now that America has Faye back, we are desperately hoping there is more the British Government can do,” Entwistle said.
She added that her 75-year-old mother is suffering from malnutrition, while her father, 79, has had a chest infection, an eye infection and severe digestive issues. The family previously warned that his life is at risk.
“We continue to hope that the Taliban will embrace all that is decent and just by granting clemency during this meaningful time of Eid,” Entwistle said.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan.”
The couple, who have lived in the country for 18 years, run a company there that provides education and training programs. The Telegraph reported that they were arrested by members of the Haqqani network, a powerful Taliban faction, in an attempt to gain concessions from the governments of the UK and US. Last week, the US lifted a $10 million bounty from Sirajuddin Haqqani, a senior figure in the network.
