For over five months, Barbie and Peter Reynolds have been detained in Afghanistan, at one point confined to underground cells without sunlight for six weeks.
Their health has declined severely. Peter, 80, has been restrained with chains and recently suffered convulsions, alarming his wife, Barbie, 75, who has faced malnutrition and reports her hands and feet have turned blue.
"There's a chance they could die in there, and the situation is worsening quickly," said their youngest son, Jonathan, 45. "They need hospital care urgently."
Since their arrest on 1 February, the Reynolds family has endured a nightmare, watching helplessly as their elderly parents suffer in a harsh prison system without formal charges.
Initially, Peter and Barbie communicated regularly from prison, but for over a month, there has been no contact. The UN has stepped in, warning they may perish in "inhumane conditions" without immediate medical attention.
British Foreign Office officials met with the couple last week, but no details about their release have been confirmed.
The couple had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, managing educational programs.
After the Taliban regained control in 2021, restrictions barred girls over 12 from education and prohibited women from working. Despite this, Barbie became the first woman to receive a Taliban appreciation certificate, which the family says reflects their local acceptance.
Peter and Barbie met at the University of Bath in the 1960s and married in Afghanistan 55 years ago, dedicating their lives to the country. Barbie had spent childhood summers there assisting at a facility for the blind.
Jonathan recalled asking his parents at 15 what to do with his life. "They said serving others brings the greatest joy," he shared from Chicago. "That defines them."
After the Taliban takeover, the couple stayed despite risks. "They couldn’t abandon the people they loved," Jonathan said. "They understood the danger but believed in their mission."
The family has wrestled with uncertainty. "They never told us how to help if this happened," Jonathan admitted. "It’s been heartbreaking."
Initially, Peter refused to leave without Joya, an Afghan interpreter detained with them.
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