An elderly British couple, Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, who had been detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly eight months, have finally been released. The couple, who had lived in Afghanistan for almost two decades, were apprehended on February 1 while traveling home. Their release was secured through Qatari mediation, according to an official familiar with the case. During the final stages of negotiations, the couple was transferred from Kabul’s central prison to a larger facility. A Qatari official confirmed that the couple will first travel to Qatar for medical evaluations before returning to the UK, despite their long-term residence in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province. The release comes after months of relentless public advocacy by their family. Just six days prior to their release, Faye Hall, an American woman who had been detained with them but was released two months into her captivity, shared with the BBC that the couple’s health had severely deteriorated in prison, stating they were ‘literally dying’ and that ‘time is running out.’