A British couple held in Afghanistan by the Taliban for more than seven months on undisclosed charges was released on Friday.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, aged 80 and 76, arrived in Qatar on Friday and were greeted by their daughter and officials on the tarmac of Doha's airport.

Their release is likely part of a wider effort to get their government recognized internationally years after taking power.

The Reynolds lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and ran an education and training organization in the country’s central province of Bamiyan, choosing to remain in the country after the Taliban seized power.

Qatar, an energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula that mediated talks between the U.S. and the Taliban before the American withdrawal, helped in releasing the Reynolds. The couple left Afghanistan on Friday.

The Reynolds’ family members in the United Kingdom repeatedly called for the couple’s release, saying they were being mistreated and held on undisclosed charges. While the Taliban rejected the abuse allegations, they have never explained what prompted their detention.

The couple's daughter, Sarah Entwistle said the family was overwhelmed with gratitude and relief to have her parents back.