A mother of two is calling on the Government to intervene after her two sons were abducted by her ex-husband in Egypt.
Mandy Kelly from Dundalk in Co Louth was on holiday in Egypt two years ago when her husband Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed locked her in an apartment and took the children away in a car.
Three-year-old Kareem and his five-year-old brother Zayn Mohammed were both born in Ireland and have had no contact with their mother since June 2022, three months after they were kidnapped.
Back in November 2022, Ms Kelly met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin about the situation, and he recommended going through the Egyptian courts to deal with the issue.
Initially, she reached out to the Irish Consular service in Cairo, but they did not help with the issue.
Speaking to BreakingNews.ie, Ms Kelly said it has been "very difficult" as there has been so little movement on the case.
I was lucky to be able to escape the room that he locked me in, and then I returned to Ireland.
"I was lucky to be able to escape the room that he locked me in, and then I returned to Ireland.
"Since then, all contact has been cut off and Mr Mohamed has made demands for cash in exchange for the children."
Arrest warrant
"I am urging immediate diplomatic intervention in the situation, and I am waiting for a European arrest warrant for Mr Mohammed."
Since the interview, Ms Kelly said she has been informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed the issuing of a European arrest warrant on the basis of two child abduction charges.
She has also requested that a further charge of extortion should be considered as well.
Ms Kelly spoke with Egypt's Good Intentions Subcommittee in 2022, which was set up in 2000 to assist in cases of child abduction.
Since Egypt is not a signatory of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the removal of a child by a non-custodial parent to or within Egypt is not a crime.
In the past, mothers have been granted custody of children in similar cases, but it is often a costly and drawn out process.
Child abduction
"The advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs so far has been for me to live in Egypt, seeing as the court proceedings would take place there.
"I am incredibly fearful of going back to Egypt and I would be concerned that the Egyptian Government thinks I am taking up residence there," she said.
Ms Kelly said what has happened in similar child abduction cases is that the person who took them just flees to another country.
In terms of working with the gardaí and Department of Justice on the matter, she said there has been a "catalogue of failures".
"I reported my case to Dundalk Garda station on March 17th, 2022, and it took them until July 2023 for the file to be sent to the DPP.
"I reported my case to Dundalk Garda station on March 17th, 2022, and it took them until July 2023 for the file to be sent to the DPP.
"Even they (DPP) are getting annoyed because there was so little progress."
Ms Kelly pointed to other cases where the Irish Government have intervened, such as that of Ibrahim Halawa who was arrested in Egypt in 2013 and eventually released in 2017.
More recently she referenced the case of Yasser Eljuboori who was being held in jail in Iraq before having all charges dropped and returned to his family last month.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and his department played a huge role in having him returned home and Ms Kelly is unsure why her case has not received the same support.
"They know how to deal with Egypt through working with Ibrahim Halawa and have been critical of the country's human rights record in the past."
The current advice she has got from Egyptian lawyers who are aware of how the system works in the country is for diplomatic intervention, seeing as all other routes have been exhausted.
"It is up to the Irish Government now, and they need to get involved," she said.
Fine Gael Senator John McGahon recently brought up Ms Kelly's case in the Seanad and called for a bilateral agreement between the two governments.
"They know that this is not a case about custody, it is about a kidnapping. They also know there is a cash demand involved in the case.
"That is a complete and utter violation of my children's human rights. You cannot go around selling children."
She defiantly said "I won't stop until I get my kids back, and I will show them. It is just a matter of time."
Ms Kelly was recently informed about a meeting with the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, which is set to take place next month.
A spokesperson for her department said in a statement that they are engaging with Ms Kelly directly.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement it is "aware of the case and has provided extensive consular assistance and continues to.
"As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases."
