British Couple's Love Survives Three Months in Taliban's Most Notorious Prison
They say love can conquer all, and for Barbie, 76, and Peter, 80, this proved true during three harrowing months in the Taliban's most infamous prison, Pul-e-Charkhi. From being chained and starved to living apart in rat-infested cells, the British couple faced what they describe as "hell" after an unexplained arrest in Afghanistan.
A Love Story Born in the 1960s
Barbie and Peter met while studying sociology at Bath University in the 1960s. Their connection to Afghanistan began early when they traveled there as students, fell in love with the country, and married in Kabul in 1970. They welcomed their first child nine months later and eventually had four more children. Their dream of a minibus adventure through Iran to Afghanistan was halted in 1979 when Soviet tanks invaded, leading to years of conflict.
After the Soviet withdrawal and a bloody civil war, the Taliban seized power in 1996. The couple reflected, "I think God had mercy on our children and we never did get to Afghanistan for 33 years," Barbie told The Times. They built a life in Bath, where Peter worked as a social worker and they ran a business called Rebuild, teaching families to handle life's challenges.
Return to Afghanistan and Taliban's Resurgence
In 2003, after US forces toppled the Taliban and Hamid Karzai became president, Barbie and Peter returned to Afghanistan. They moved there permanently in 2007, establishing Rebuild in the country. Over 12 years, they trained thousands of Afghans and employed 40 staff, deeply embedding themselves in the community.
However, on August 15, 2021, the Taliban returned to power as US troops withdrew. Despite advice from the British embassy to leave, the couple chose to stay, having recently obtained Afghan citizenship. "We weren't going to desert them in their worst hour of need," Peter recalled. Their commitment was tested when the Taliban raided their home multiple times in 2022, leading to Peter's questioning and their eventual move to Bamiyan.
The Arrest and Descent into Prison
On February 1, 2025, the couple's life took a drastic turn. Returning to Bamiyan from Kabul with their friend Faye Hall, they were stopped by Taliban forces and taken to police barracks. What was promised as a 15-minute meeting turned into a days-long ordeal. Barbie managed a temporary release by citing Peter's heart medication, but they were soon rearrested and transported to Kabul.
At the Ministry of Interior Affairs, headed by Sirajuddin Haqqani—a warlord with a $10 million US bounty—they were interrogated and held in separate cells. Conditions were deplorable: walls covered in black mould, mice running through their hair, and overcrowding. After a brief court hearing in Bamiyan, where they found their home ransacked, they were taken back to Kabul and imprisoned for three weeks.
Chains, Charges, and Pul-e-Charkhi Prison
The Taliban accused them of being missionaries, questioned their passports and business licenses, and subjected them to intense interrogation. Peter described a three-hour "pummelling" that included personal questions about religion and marriage. Eventually, they were taken to court but not released; instead, Peter was chained and handcuffed to another prisoner, a moment Barbie called one of the worst.
They were then transferred to Pul-e-Charkhi, a prison built by the Russians in the 1970s and known for executions, torture, and brutal conditions. Peter called it "the closest thing to hell." He was held with two other men, while Barbie and Faye were in a women's prison with 230 women and 40 children sharing seven lavatories. The cell had 15 women and two children with only five bunk beds, and showers were non-functional.
Surviving Three Months of Hell
Life in Pul-e-Charkhi was a daily struggle. During Ramadan, they received only one meal a day; later, it increased to two: naan with overcooked vegetables for lunch, and rice with kidney beans for dinner. Meat appeared twice a week in soup form. Prisoners could buy extra food, but their money had been confiscated. Barbie suffered from anaemia and malnutrition, surviving on naan, cream cheese, yogurt, and cucumbers with help from Qatari diplomats.
Faye was released in late March after diplomatic efforts, but Barbie and Peter remained. In mid-May, after media attention and intervention by British envoy Richard Lindsay, they were allowed a brief reunion before release on May 18. However, their freedom was short-lived; they were locked in a mouse-infested basement for five more weeks.
Release and Future Hopes
On September 19, they were finally freed and flown to Doha, meeting their eldest daughter before traveling to Heathrow. Now living in their son's flat in the UK, with their belongings sealed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, they reflect on their ordeal. Despite everything, their love endured, and they express a desire to return to Afghanistan, showcasing resilience forged over decades.
Their story is a testament to human endurance and the power of love in the face of one of the world's most brutal regimes.
