An American woman detained by the Taliban alongside a British couple has told the BBC they are 'literally dying' in prison and that 'time is running out'. Faye Hall was arrested with Peter, 80, and Barbie Reynolds, 76 on 1 February when returning to Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan, where the couple lived. While Ms. Hall was released after two months, Peter and Barbie remain in prison and still do not know why they are being held.
The Foreign Office (FCDO) said it was supporting the family of a couple being held in Afghanistan. Speaking to BBC Breakfast in her first interview since being released, Ms. Hall broke down in tears when asked what she would like to tell the couple. 'I love them, I know they will be out very soon, don't ever give up.'
Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and lived in Afghanistan for 18 years prior to their arrest - the reason for which remains unconfirmed despite four court appearances. The pair had Afghan citizenship and ran a charity programme approved by the Taliban after they took power in 2021.
Ms. Hall said the group, which also included an interpreter, had flown from Kabul to Bamiyan Province in a privately chartered plane when they were stopped at a checkpoint. They then spent days being driven between police stations and prisons. She described the conditions, including cramped cells and a maximum-security prison holding 'murderers', surrounded by barbed wire, with guards armed with machine guns.
She warned that their health had rapidly deteriorated, with Barbie losing significant weight and unable to stand or walk on one occasion. Peter has been getting sicker despite receiving medication from the Qatari government, which he requires after heart surgery and cancer treatment. 'We just have these elderly people, they’re literally dying, and time is running out,' she said.
The pair's son previously told the BBC he feared they would die in prison, stating that Peter had suffered serious convulsions and Barbie was 'numb' from anaemia and malnutrition. The UN warned in July that the couple could perish 'in such degrading conditions' if they did not receive immediate medical attention and called their detention 'inhumane'.
Ms. Hall has called on the US and UK governments to 'work together' and take stronger actions to secure the couple's release. The FCDO confirmed it was supporting the family of the two British nationals detained in Afghanistan and that the Minister has met with the family to discuss their case.
The UK closed its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban returned to power, and the Foreign Office advises against all travel to the country. A spokesperson for the US State Department echoed the urgency, condemning the Taliban's history of unjust detentions. The Taliban’s foreign minister claimed the Reynolds were in regular contact with family and assured their human rights were being respected.
The Foreign Office (FCDO) said it was supporting the family of a couple being held in Afghanistan. Speaking to BBC Breakfast in her first interview since being released, Ms. Hall broke down in tears when asked what she would like to tell the couple. 'I love them, I know they will be out very soon, don't ever give up.'
Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and lived in Afghanistan for 18 years prior to their arrest - the reason for which remains unconfirmed despite four court appearances. The pair had Afghan citizenship and ran a charity programme approved by the Taliban after they took power in 2021.
Ms. Hall said the group, which also included an interpreter, had flown from Kabul to Bamiyan Province in a privately chartered plane when they were stopped at a checkpoint. They then spent days being driven between police stations and prisons. She described the conditions, including cramped cells and a maximum-security prison holding 'murderers', surrounded by barbed wire, with guards armed with machine guns.
She warned that their health had rapidly deteriorated, with Barbie losing significant weight and unable to stand or walk on one occasion. Peter has been getting sicker despite receiving medication from the Qatari government, which he requires after heart surgery and cancer treatment. 'We just have these elderly people, they’re literally dying, and time is running out,' she said.
The pair's son previously told the BBC he feared they would die in prison, stating that Peter had suffered serious convulsions and Barbie was 'numb' from anaemia and malnutrition. The UN warned in July that the couple could perish 'in such degrading conditions' if they did not receive immediate medical attention and called their detention 'inhumane'.
Ms. Hall has called on the US and UK governments to 'work together' and take stronger actions to secure the couple's release. The FCDO confirmed it was supporting the family of the two British nationals detained in Afghanistan and that the Minister has met with the family to discuss their case.
The UK closed its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban returned to power, and the Foreign Office advises against all travel to the country. A spokesperson for the US State Department echoed the urgency, condemning the Taliban's history of unjust detentions. The Taliban’s foreign minister claimed the Reynolds were in regular contact with family and assured their human rights were being respected.
