The Taliban has reportedly arrested a British couple in their 70s for teaching parenting skills to Afghan mothers.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds have spent nearly two decades running training programs in Afghan schools and continued their work even after the Taliban regained power in 2021. Despite initially receiving approval from the new regime—Barbie Reynolds was even awarded a state certificate of appreciation—they were detained on February 1.

The couple, who have four adult children, first met as students at the University of Bath and married in Kabul in 1970. They were traveling to their home in Nayak, Bamiyan province, with their Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall, when authorities arrested them. Their home was searched, and their employees were questioned, reportedly over suspicions of missionary work—a claim their family strongly denies.

Initially, Peter and Barbie Reynolds managed to send text messages to their children, assuring them they were safe and in the custody of the interior ministry. However, communication ceased after three days, leaving their family deeply worried.

Their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, expressed her distress, highlighting her father’s need for heart medication following a mini-stroke. “They were just trying to help the country they loved. The idea that they are being detained for teaching mothers is outrageous,” she told The Sunday Times.

Sarah and her three brothers have written an open letter to senior Taliban leaders, urging their parents’ release and emphasizing their dual Afghan-British citizenship. They pointed out that their parents’ education programs, running in five Kabul schools, had focused on participatory learning, play-based education, and communication skills—all with the apparent approval of local authorities, despite the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education.

Most Westerners left Afghanistan after the Taliban took control in 2021, but the Reynolds chose to stay, even presenting their educational initiatives to Taliban leaders. “They said they couldn’t leave when Afghans needed them most,” Sarah explained. She added that Taliban officials had been so impressed with their work that they had suggested expanding the programs nationwide.

The family has sought help from the UK Foreign Office, but with no official British diplomatic presence in Kabul, there is little that can be done.