The Taliban has released a British couple in their seventies who were detained in Afghanistan for over seven months on undisclosed charges, a foreign ministry official announced on Friday.

The case of Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbara, 76, had drawn international attention and underscored Western concerns about the Taliban's treatment of foreign nationals since the group seized control of the country four years ago.

The couple, who had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and operated an educational institution in the central province of Bamiyan, were arrested in February. The specific reasons for their detention were never made public by the Taliban authorities, despite repeated pleas from their relatives who reported their rapidly deteriorating health and alleged mistreatment in custody. The Taliban has consistently denied these abuse allegations.

In a statement on social media, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi confirmed the release. "Two British nationals named Peter and Barbara Reynolds, who had violated the laws of Afghanistan, were released from custody today following the judicial process," he said.

Balkhi added that the Taliban "does not view the matters of citizens from a political or transactional angle," suggesting the decision was a matter of legal procedure rather than diplomacy.

The elderly couple was handed over to Britain's special representative for Afghanistan, Richard Lindsay, facilitating their return to the United Kingdom. Their release brings an end to a lengthy ordeal that had caused significant concern for their family and raised questions about the rule of law under Taliban governance.