Lobna, a former native of Northern Ireland, is desperately pleading for her son Zayn to return home. Her ex-husband, Karim Selim, abducted him when she was living in Egypt. Things became graver still when Selim was ultimately found guilty of the murders of three women in Cairo. A 2021 court ruling had awarded Lobna custody of Zayn, but she has not been allowed to see him since. Today, she is fighting to have him returned to his original home.
Lobna suffered an abusive marriage to Selim for more than seven years. Confounded and scared for her own life, Michelle left her husband in 2020. But ever since, she’s been all-in on reuniting with Zayn. To steer through this thorny legal morass, she counts on the legal firepower of attorneys Shady Abdellatif Abdel Rahman and Ashraf Farahat.
In July, an Egyptian court found in favor of Lobna, upholding her rights to custody for Zayn. The implementation of that ruling has been difficult. For the past two months, Lobna has condemned the lackadaisical approach supposedly taken by Egyptian police in helping find her son.
“I need my son back – I want him back. He is 10 now,” stated Zayn’s grandmother, who remains hopeful about reuniting with her grandson. She stressed the need to spread awareness of Zayn’s situation, thinking that perhaps someone has spotted him.
Every effort Lobna makes to reinstate Zayn has been met with steadfast resistance. In response, she relocated to Egypt to retake custody of her son. At this very moment, she’s working hard to identifiable UK government officials like MP John Finucane to drum up support for her case.
“One of the highest priorities of the US Department of State is the safety and welfare of US citizens overseas, and we are dedicated to the safety and welfare of children – some of our most vulnerable citizens.” – US Department of State
In addition to her outreach efforts, Lobna’s lawyers have begun pursuing legal action against Selim’s mother in a bid to compel her to surrender Zayn.
“We are taking this to the next level of pursuing a legal order against the husband’s mother; we are hoping this will force her to surrender the child,” said Ashraf Farahat, Lobna’s lawyer.
As Lobna ponders the tragic state of affairs that forced her to leave Selim. “It got to a point where I just couldn’t stay,” she explained. She was still haunted by memories of Selim, who withdrew for six months after she departed. Until suddenly, without warning, he ordered them to return.
“No one believed that he would try to kill me. I knew deep down he was going to kill me,” Lobna recounted, illustrating the fear and turmoil she experienced during her marriage.
Zayn’s grandmother continues to advocate for him, stating, “He is going to have social media. Someone must have seen him.” Unfortunately, even her determination pales in comparison to Lobna’s own indefatigable resolve to get Zayn back.
Lobna remains hopeful despite the challenges ahead. “I will never stop looking for you until the day that I die,” she vowed to her son.
Lobna’s courageous advocacy has been a lifeline traversing this treacherous legal terrain. She holds on to her dream of being able to reunite with Zayn someday. Her public plea is an attempt to marshal attention and support to her cause. We’re moved that it does so much to raise awareness about the heartbreaking reality of many families separated by violence and custody battles.
Leave a Reply