Interpol has issued a yellow notice for two Irish boys being held by their father in Egypt against their mother’s wishes.
Such a notice is used for priority cases of missing children.
Brothers Zayn (6) and Kareen Mohamed (4) were both taken from their mother Mandy Kelly from Dundalk, Co Louth, almost three years ago in March 2022 during a family holiday in Cairo.
They had travelled to Cairo to meet their grandmother when their father took the children. Their mother’s campaign to have her children returned to her has been ongoing.
An Egyptian court order awarded custody of the two brothers to Ms Kelly last July. The 37-year-old mother will be in Cairo on Christmas Eve for a further court hearing.
An Egyptian court earlier granted Ms Kelly custody of her two sons, her mediator said.
The case has been raised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Taoiseach Simon Harris with Egyptian authorities. President Michael D Higgins has also been in contact with Ms Kelly over the situation ahead of finds herself in.
Ms Kelly met Minister for Justice Helen McEntee in April, accompanied by her solicitor and a mediator and said afterwards that Ms McEntee was “open” to looking at a potential bilateral agreement or a memorandum of understanding between the two countries that could help with her situation.
Egypt is not signed up to the 1980 Hague Convention, which aims to protect children from international abduction by a parent using diplomatic pressure to ensure the prompt return of the child.
Although Ms Kelly said previously that while she has had some “horrific days” without her children, she remained “incredibly positive and hopeful” about their return.
“My youngest son was 16 months old when this occurred and my other son was three. So I’ve missed out on so much of their lives. The Irish authorities know from previous cases that mothers that go through this, once they’re reunited with their children after years upon years, that the damage is already done.”
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