Fee Hall: Elderly British prisoners in Afghanistan are on the verge of death.
Fay Hall, an American citizen and former Taliban prisoner, has warned the media that an elderly British couple who have been in Taliban custody since February are “literally dying”.
He described the conditions of the couple’s detention as “horrific and inhumane” and said their health was at serious risk due to malnutrition and illness.
The couple, Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife, Barbie Reynolds, 76, were arrested after traveling to Bamyan and are still being held in Taliban prisons, despite Ms. Hall’s release two months later.
Peter is reportedly suffering from heart problems and a history of cancer, and Barbie has lost the ability to walk due to anemia and malnutrition.
Analysts say the Taliban are using the arrest and hostage-taking of foreign nationals, especially American and British, to gain political advantage and international legitimacy.
While the UN had earlier warned of the possible death of the couple, the British Foreign Office has also stressed that the possibility of providing direct assistance to its citizens in Afghanistan is very limited due to the closure of the embassy in Kabul.
