Peter & Barbie Reynolds, Freed 👏👏👏

This couple could have had the most fantastic time travelling the world on their motorbikes, seeing the most amazing countries with memories to last them a lifetime.

All they had to do though was to be reasonably sensible and avoid countries like Iran where ‘foreign nationals have a significant risk of being imprisoned’

Very few sane people take risks like a holiday motorbiking through Iran.😂

...maybe not fairly often, but definitely sometimes.

We all take risks though.
We assess how risky - and make decisions based on what we know and believe.

We are all fairly often wrong.

Not many of us have done something so crazy stupid in our lives.
Daft, perhaps, but not that irresponsible!
They're 52 - old enough to know better.

If they’re released soon then they’ll be damn lucky after such a moronic decision to ride through Iran.They grinned for their selfies and said to the camera words along the lines of, hey we know it’s a bit mad and we might regret it but we’re giving it a go.
Not many of us have done something so crazy stupid in our lives.

Hopefully they will be released soon (the couple in Iran) even though their case is a bit different.
Not many of us who haven't done something stupid at some stage of our lives, & I guess Iran is a big country to bypass if you're looking to travel that route.
If they wanted to avoid all risks, they wouldn't have been on a round-the-world motorcycle tour, but they might have been sitting at home getting on each others' nerves.

They were stupid, JenniferEccles, whereas Barbie and Petrr Reynolds had lived in Afghanistan for many years and were teaching a programme approved by the Taliban.

I have also read about another British couple who despite advice from family and friends to give Iran a wide berth, went ahead anyway and entered the country during a round-the-world motorcycle trip.
Within three days they were arrested and they have been in separate prisons ever since.

Their family have no idea when, if ever, they will be released.

Please they are home, but if they go back after advise and it happens again (probably will) this time, they will be on their own.

Absolutely JenniferEccles or even have a pleasant and restful retirement here.

I’m sure we can all understand ‘home is where the heart is’ as they clearly love the country but in view of the change of regime there plus what they said about their dreadful experience in prison, then I think the heart has to be ignored.

Surely they can become involved in charity work in a less dangerous country.

They have been released but no-one knows what deals have been done behind the scenes; they certainly won't have been released purely through goodwill.
It would be extremely foolhardy for them to put themselves, and possibly other people, at risk again.

Of course it’s their choice, but people are concerned what will happen to them if they do.
There will be more trumped up charges coming their way, but if they don’t learn from their experiences then it’s on them.

I still say it's their choice.
They know more about it than I do.

I would be put off going back for sure.
And would be nervous if they were my family.

Yes, I had read all about them, good hearted people caught up in the hellish clutches of Muslim extremists, the taliban. They spent eight months in prison in awful conditions and had 29 interrogations and three or four court appearances.Never charged with anything at all, because they hadn’t done anything wrong at all.Just the taliban being the awful swine that they are.
This couple aren’t welcome and their teachings aren’t welcome there now.I hope they stay away.

They were married there in 1970 and are citizens.

They have lived there now for over 18 years, and became Afghan citizens as this is the country they call ‘home’. When the Taliban took over in 2021 they refused to leave, saying they ‘couldn’t leave the country and the people they love, in their darkest hour.

Soon after this happened, the Taliban invited them to speak to a large group of their leaders about the work they do there. They were working with 5 schools, training the teachers to help children ‘learn through active participation’ (& play) rather than the current system of ‘by rote’. The Taliban loved what they had to say (even gave Barbie the first woman’s ’Certificate of Appreciation'!)

Peter and Barbie have never hidden what they are doing, and meticulously adhere to the laws regarding education, as they frequently change.

They have been spending time with mothers and their children in Nayak where they now live, teaching them parenting, conflict resolution and communication skills. They have also taught them about how to love their husbands, and have sent testimonials to us about how families are being changed by this simple teaching. The Elders and Police in Nayak know them well, and have been very supportive of their work.
(From the campaign for their release)

Then they were arrested.

Their programmes are in use AND approved apparently.

And ‘at their age’ does come into it as they will need medical help as they get older, he is already 80.

That’s different tho, they were Ukrainians.
This couple are British and know that they’re not welcome now in Afghanistan and neither are their school programmes.
They could easily end up back in prison for some made up infringement.

My swimming friend and daughter have returned to Ukraine.
They felt they had to go back to be part of it. They felt they had run away (which they had) and the mum said she felt "stronger now".

You can't help where your heart is.

I think it's sad that "at their age" comes into it.

I also couldn’t believe that they plan to go back.
Utter madness surely?
They allegedly had a terrible time in prison, having no idea what they had done wrong, so how can they be sure they wouldn’t commit the same ‘crime’ again?

Then the authorities here would be compelled to negotiate their release.

I know they are charity workers out there and love the country but at their age it’s so irresponsible.

I hope they come to their senses.

They have been there 18 years I think.
It is basically their home.
They have schools programmes there - one unfinished.

Saw headlines this morning that Afghans coming here because their country is so dangerous for them (ex Army, I think), are returning there for a holiday 😳