Egypt grants mum custody of abducted sons.. now it must find them
Mandy’s Irish-born children Zayn & Kareem taken by dad
At this point our only concern are these two vulnerable
Irish children
DR MICEAL O’HURLEY MEDIATOR FOR MANDY KELLY IN HER CUSTODY BATTLE
THE mum of two young Irish boys abducted by their Egyptian father is a step closer to finally being reunited with them after she won custody of them in the country’s court.
Mandy Kelly hasn’t seen her Irish citizen children Zayn, five, and threeyear-old Kareem, in more than two years.
The children were abducted by their Egyptian father Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed the day before they were due to return to Ireland.
He locked Mandy in a room in an apartment while they were on holiday in Cairo in 2022. Mandy, from Monaghan and now living in Dundalk, Co Louth has been fighting for the State to intervene and have them returned.
She reported the kidnapping of her children to Dundalk Garda station and a file has gone to the
Director of Public Prosecutions. An international arrest warrant for her husband has been issued by the High Court.
Now, Dr Miceal O’hurley, a mediator acting on her behalf, told the Irish Mirror she has won custody in the Egyptian courts and has received an execution order to have her kids placed into her custody.
However, it is now up to the Egyptian Government to locate Mandy’s children, as according to Dr O’hurley, Mandy’s ex-husband has “absconded from location to location”.
Dr O’hurley added: “The Egyptian courts have been fast. They have been fair and they have delivered their verdict for custody for Mandy in a very swift and efficient manner. They have treated her with respect. I’ve heard some criticism that it was subject to Sharia law. I reject that outright because Sharia law has been nothing but respectful and helpful to Ms Kelly. In fact it’s Egyptian law which has decided this case.
“The Egyptian Government now has to find the children as Mandy’s ex-husband has absconded from location to location so as soon as the children are found they should be placed in my client’s custody and care and we look forward to that.”
He also praised Tanaiste Micheal Martin “for his extraordinary reach out to the Egyptian Government by phone call last week and he has been very helpful in breaking the log jam and we anticipate it will help us execute the order for custody and see Mandy reunited with her children after so very long.”
He said Mandy’s ex-husband has been given “every opportunity to deliver the children to her voluntarily and avoid any legal or criminal consequences”.
Dr O’hurley added: “Unfortunately he has decided to hold himself above the law, and he has rebuffed the offer I had made through the Good Intentions Committee to facilitate the children’s return without serious consequences.
“Sadly now he and members of his family may be subject to very harsh criminal sanctions and it’s regrettable but at this point our only concern are these two vulnerable Irish children.”
Mandy said yesterday: “I’m grateful for the An Tanaiste doing the right thing by my two sons and for the Egyptian authorities for guiding me through the legalities of this horrendous ordeal.
“I plead for the sake of my two young sons that this ends soon.”