[Lifestyle] Family of couple held by Taliban fear for their health

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The family of a British couple in their seventies who have been detained in Afghanistan have expressed fears for their health after a court appearance was delayed.

Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were arrested on 1 February while returning to their home in Bamiyan province.

They were taken out of jail for court proceedings on Saturday and spent four hours sitting on the floor, chained to other prisoners before being returned to prison, according to their daughter.

Sarah Entwistle added that her mother was "collapsing due to malnutrition" and that her father's health was "declining", saying that they have "no charges against them".

She said that on Saturday, the couple had been informed "at the last minute" that they would not be seen by the judge.

"The guards indicated that a different judge would now be handling the case, and we continue to hope they will receive a fair hearing in the coming week," she said.

Their daughter added: "We continue to hope they will receive a fair hearing in the coming week."

The couple are being held separately and did not see each other on Saturday.

Before their arrest, Mr and Mrs Reynolds, who married in the Afghan capital Kabul in 1970, had been running training projects in Afghanistan for 18 years - including one that involved training mothers and children.

Their work had apparently been approved by the local authorities despite the Taliban banning education for girls over 12-years-old and not allowing women to work.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gd5epdlxno