Father Of Toddler Omar Antar Held In Egypt Told To 'Come To His Senses'

'Come To Your Senses'
PA

An Egyptian businessman judged to have "wrongfully retained" his two-year-old British son in his come country for almost a year, has been told to "come to his senses".

Mr Justice Roderic Wood says Abdelaziz Antar, 39, has kept Omar Antar in Egypt since late December in breach of court orders.

Qureshi's solicitor, Lubna Shah, called on Antar to return Omar.

"The father is now in flagrant breach of orders both in London and Egypt," said Shah.

"The father must come to his senses and hand this little boy back to his loving mother."

The judge has given permission for Omar - who is at the centre of litigation in the Family Division of the High Court and in an Egyptian court - to be named in media reports.

He says he hopes that publicity will pressurise Antar into returning the little boy to the care of his British mother Aisha Qureshi, 35, of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

"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," said the judge, at a hearing in London.

"I hope for the boy's sake that they are right."

The judge was told that Qureshi and Antar, who ran a "vehicle export/import" business and used to live and work in France, married in a Muslim wedding ceremony in 2008 in Dewsbury.

Antar had then returned to Egypt leaving Qureshi in England - and had visited Qureshi every six months.

Omar was born in 2011. Antar had travelled to England for his birth then returned to Egypt leaving the little boy with Qureshi in Dewsbury.

Qureshi and Omar had visited Egypt for a wedding in November. Qureshi had been forced to return to England and Antar had refused to allow his son to leave, the judge heard.

Close

What's Hot