PA MediaThe son of a British couple who was detained by the Taliban five months ago told the BBC he was worried they could die in jail.
Peter Reynolds, 80, and Barbie, 76, were arrested on February 1 to return to their home in the Bamiyan province of central Afghanistan.
Their son, Jonathan Reynolds, said their health deteriorated rapidly, his father suffered severe convulsions and his mother was “numb” due to anemia and malnutrition.
The United Nations also warned that if they do not receive medical services at one time, it would be called “inhumane” to “under such degradation conditions.”
Taliban officials told the BBC in February that the group plans to “release the couple as soon as possible”.
Mr Reynolds said it was a “painful and surreal” five months waiting for his parents’ release, Living in Afghanistan for 18 years And run educational projects.
He said that although the judges were deemed innocent, they were not facing any charges, they were still in harsh conditions – including the highest security prison.
He told BBC 4 Radio Today, adding: “My father was tied to the murderer and the criminal.
Reynolds said the couple revealed “how bad their health is” when they came into contact with their children on June 15.
“My father’s health is especially deteriorating rapidly,” he said, and the 80-year-old has a history of mild heart attacks, he said.
He told BBC Breakfast: “Now he might have something like early Parkinson’s – trembling and shaking the right side of the body, arms and face.”
He added that his father “twitched on the prison floor” before his wife called on the prison guard to move him to a “mattress mattress” on the bed.
Mrs. Reynolds, he added, “has something to do with anemia, malnutrition, just not having the right health care.”
Mr Reynolds said he didn’t know the exact location of his parents – he was not sure that “the need for immediate release has been made.”
“Every week I seem to be told ‘Now I have to wait two or three days…hang tightly’.
“We were told week after week – they were still in jail.”
However, he said he thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FCDO) for his level of communication with his family.
The couple both had their birthdays in prison, marking their 55th anniversary last week.
“I’m grateful for being together, but they certainly are not free,” Mr. Reynolds said.
The United Nations also warned on Monday that the two men’s health had quickly declined and questioned why they were imprisoned.
“Without adequate medical care, they are at risk of irreparable harm or even death.” statement The UN human rights agency calls for immediate transfer to civilian hospitals.
“We have no reason to detain the couple in full and request that the reasons for their detention be reviewed immediately.
“It is inhumane to have them lock in under such degraded conditions and worry more when their health is so vulnerable.”
It added that it brought the couple’s case together with the Taliban and the UK.
The Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and later became Afghan citizens.
They have been conducting training programs in Afghanistan, including training programs involving training mothers and children.
Although the Taliban prohibits education for girls over the age of 12, women are not allowed to work, their work is clearly approved by local authorities.
“A series of considerations are considered and after evaluation, we will release them as soon as possible,” Taliban official Abdul Mateen Qani said in February.
The FCDO has been contacted to respond.
The UK closed its embassy in Kabul and withdrew diplomats from the country after returning to power in 2021.
The FCDO said support for British nationals in Afghanistan was “seriously restricted” and recommended preventing all travel to the country.
