Interpol posts yellow missing persons alert over Irish woman's children being held in Egypt
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Interpol has posted a yellow notice for two Irish boys being held in Egypt by their father against their mother’s wishes.
A yellow notice is activated by the International Policing Body for priority cases of missing children.
Zayn, aged 6, and Kareen Mohamed, aged 4, were both taken from their mother Mandy Kelly from Dundalk, Co Louth, in March 2022 during a family holiday in Cairo.
They had travelled there to meet their grandmother when their father drove the children away.
As a result of a two-year campaign for their return by Ms Kelly, the children are now the subject of an international missing persons case.
Ms Kelly, 37, has not seen her sons for more than 1,000 days despite a court order in Egypt awarding her full custody of her children in July.
She is travelling back to Cairo on Tuesday to attend a further court hearing on the matter.
"I have not been summoned to the case," she told the . "I’m going using my own expenses to show my determination and love for my children.
The case of the two boys has made international headlines after Ms Kelly was the first Irish woman to secure an Egyptian court order for the return of her sons.
Despite her success in court, Ms Kelly is facing delays because the children's father has not remained in the same location.
Egypt has not signed up to the Hague Convention on child protection, making the case more challenging for Irish authorities.
It has been raised with several Egyptian authorities by the Taoiseach Simon Harris and Department of Foreign Affairs.
Last week, President Michael D Higgins wrote to Ms Kelly to confirm he raised the matter with his Egyptian counterpart during his visit last week.
“I am very grateful for the President doing this for me and my children,” said Ms Kelly.
“While the Egyptian authorities have been helpful, I haven’t seen my children since March 2022 and I have no school records, no health records, or any type of record on them.
“I have been advised by the Department of Foreign Affairs here to continue to work with the legal system in Egypt and even though I respect the system there, I’ve yet to even see a photo of my children."