Taliban confirm arrest of British couple and a Chinese-American in Afghanistan
UK couple Barbie and Peter Reynolds were arrested with an American, Faye Hall, and a translator
Taliban authorities have detained two Britons, a Chinese-American and their Afghan translator, the interior ministry confirmed late Monday, after the daughter of the British couple called on London to secure their release.
“Based on certain considerations, the authorities have detained four people: two British citizens holding Afghan papers, one person with Chinese and American nationality and their translator,” Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, told Agence France-Presse.
“Efforts are under way to resolve this issue,” he added.
Qani spoke shortly after Sarah Entwistle, in an interview with British media, called for her government to do “everything in their power” to secure the release of her parents, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who had been running training programmes in Afghanistan for years.
British media had reported their arrest, along with Chinese-American woman Faye Hall and their Afghan translator, on February 1 in the province of Bamiyan, a major tourist attraction west of Kabul known for its giant Buddhas – destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban.
Qani refused to confirm the identities of the detainees, or give further details on their condition or the reasons for their arrests. “Details will be released shortly,” he said.