'It's been 1,000 days since I saw my children': Irish mum's plea to Egyptian president
Mandy Kelly had her children kidnapped by their Egyptian father, Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed. Picture: Gareth Chaney
The mother of two boys who are being held in Egypt by their father has pleaded with the Taoiseach to raise her case with the Egyptian president when he arrives in Ireland this week.
Mandy Kelly, aged 37, has campaigned for the past two years to have her sons brought home from Egypt after a family holiday in March 2022 turned into a “living hell”.
It has been 1,000 days since Ms Kelly saw her children. The Co Louth mother had travelled to Cairo with her estranged husband, Ramy Gamal Maamoun Mohamed, unaware that he had planned to abduct the children.
He locked Mandy into an apartment and drove the children — Zayn, aged 6, and Kareem, aged 3 — to a secret location.
Since then, both the judiciaries in Ireland and Egypt have ruled that the children should be returned to their mother. However, the father cannot be located by police in Cairo.
Ms Kelly told the that she is pleading with Taoiseach Simon Harris to raise the case with president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi when he arrives in Ireland.
“I really need all the help I can get” she said.
“The president of Egypt is coming here as part of a European tour. He will be in Denmark and Norway, and his final stop will be in Ireland.
“I have a court order from Ireland and Cairo to have my sons returned but, as of yet, their father is refusing to do so and cannot be located.
“As a mother I feel completely and utterly helpless, I have done everything I was asked to do — every single thing and more — and yet the boys are still not home.”
Ms Kelly said that two Interpol notices have also been issued preventing her estranged husband from leaving Egypt.
“I have been notified that both yellow and blue Interpol notices are live, however this has brought no solution to the case.
“It is a heartbreaking situation. I am living a hell on earth, but I will not give up until my children are home.
Ms Kelly said she is continuing to work with gardaí in a bid to secure a red Interpol notice which would assist with the arrest of the abducting parent.
“I haven’t seen my sons since March 11, 2022. Despite everything, they are still not with me.
“I really want the Taoiseach to speak to the Egyptian president this week and urge him to get involved and help bring my children home.”
