Yorkshire toddler ‘wrongfully retained’ in Egypt by father

Mr Justice Roderic Wood said Omar Antar had not seen his mother Aisha Qureshi, 35, of Dewsbury, since late December.

The judge gave permission for the “sad case” to be reported at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London after an application by Ms Qureshi’s lawyers.

He said he hoped publicity would pressurise Omar’s Egyptian father, businessman Abdelaziz Antar, 39, into obeying a High Court order to return the little boy to the care of his “beleaguered mother”.

The judge was told by lawyers representing Ms Qureshi that Omar had been living with his mother in England and Mr Antar had been living in Egypt.

Ms Qureshi and Omar had travelled to Egypt for a wedding last November – but Mr Antar had refused to let the little boy return and even removed the child’s passport from her handbag without her knowledge.

The High Court had ordered Mr Antar to return Omar to England to his mother’s care. An Egyptian court had also ordered Mr Antar to return the youngster.

“In yet another sad case a child is caught up in a dispute between his parents who are living in different countries,” said Mr Justice Roderic Wood. “That retention was against the mother’s will. As I understand, she has not seen Omar since.”

The judge added: “It is considered by the mother’s legal team that giving publicity to this case will motivate (Mr Antar’s) family and friends to put pressure on him to return Omar. I hope for the boy’s sake that they are right.

“The court will readily consider the father’s proposals for the future care of Omar once the boy is back here.”

Clare Renton, for Ms Qureshi, said police in Egypt had recently visited Mr Antar’s home but had not been able to persuade him to co-operate.

Lawyers for Ms Qureshi explained the background in a case summary released to the Press.

They said Ms Qureshi and Mr Antar had met via the internet in 2008. Mr Antar was married with three children and living in Egypt. He wished to “enter into a second marriage” and had said he was planning to relocate to England.

The couple had married in a Muslim wedding ceremony in June 2008 in Dewsbury, although the marriage was not recognised under English law. Mr Antar had stayed with Ms Qureshi for around two weeks and returned to Egypt at the end of June. After that he had visited Ms Qureshi “approximately every six months” and had attended his son’s birth in July 2011.