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A Melbourne mum and her daughter have returned to Australia after being prevented from leaving Egypt for the last three years by a secret travel ban imposed by the girl’s father.

Amaal Yasmin Finn, 37, and her seven-year-old daughter Zareen had been trapped in Egypt since the child’s Egyptian-born father, Mazen Hassan Baioumy, had the ban imposed in 2013.

Ms Finn has said she was tricked into signing documents by Mr Baioumy that she believed would grant her Egyptian residency.  The documents were written in Arabic, which Ms Finn was unable to read.

Instead the ban with Zareen’s name registered on an official immigration list came into existence, preventing the child from leaving the country with her mother.

After almost three years of legal action, an Egyptian appeals court handed down its verdict on February 24 clearing the way for the child to leave Egypt.  

The mother and daughter were able to travel last night after waiting a further month for the court decision to be implemented.  They returned to Melbourne on Friday.

Ms Finn said that the court’s verdict came as a surprise after so many disappointments.

“At the very least I was expecting another [court] session after a month, but [the lawyer] said; ‘that’s it — it’s been lifted’, and I couldn’t believe it. It was a huge relief,” she said.

Ms Finn had said she had lived in constant fear for her life and the anxiety family members of Mr Baioumy would attempt to kidnap Zareen.

After the court verdict, Mr Baioumy, who has been living in Australia, had his brother attempt to have the ban re imposed, but the bid was rejected by the court.

In 2013, a Family Court judge allowed Mr Baioumy to be identified and a photo to be made public in hope of helping the AFP locate his whereabouts.

More than 47,000 people signed a petition calling for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to intervene in the case.

 

Image source: Facebook

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  • Glad that they got the outcome they sought.

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  • Wow, what a horrible man! I can’t imagine how awful and scary that would have been!

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  • Wow how scary! Can’t believe I’m only hearing of this now! So glad they’ve made it back home

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  • So she and the child were stuck in Egypt while the father was in Australia?? Why would you sign anything without knowing what it said, for the father to do that there must have been trouble between them

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  • A great outcome in the end! :)

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  • Far out, how scary for this mother.

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  • Glad that mum and daughter are back and safe

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  • Oh my that poor mother. Thank god the courts ruled in her favour.
    You wouldn’t expect someone you love to trick you like that.

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  • Well I certainly wouldn’t sign any thing in another language. But it’s good to see how they let her leave the country but how sad for the dad not seeing his daughter too.

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  • So glad they got back safely. Such a strange world out there that these things can still happen

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  • What a relief for the mother and daughter. Glad this had a happy ending.

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  • Very strange when he was in Australia. A big relief for them, though.

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  • how can people do such horrid things especially to the ones they are meant to love im happy for the mother and daughter.

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  • The girl’s father would probably have married his daughter off to several guys before she even reached puberty. That is part of the custom of their country according to history books I have read.

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  • What a relief for that poor woman and her child! It must have horrifying not being able to leave Egypt for so long!!

    Reply

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