A Calgary mother is pleading for help after her ex-husband took their young son to Lebanon and didn't return.
Layale Khalifeh last saw her seven-year old son Jad 40 days ago and says the youngster was scheduled to be back in Calgary on September 1st in time for school.
Khalifeh admits that she gave her ex-husband, Mohamad el-Huseini, permission to take the boy to his homeland. She says he has taken the boy on the trip before and returned, but this time something was different.
Khalifeh says her ex-husband stopped calling back two weeks ago and now she's discovered that he may be gone for good.
“I wish no parent ever has to experience this because Jad is my life. I have no one here but Jad,” said Khalifeh. “I want him to have a stable, safe future, not the one I had when I was growing up back home.”
Lawyer Andy Hayher says parents need to be very careful about sending children out of the country.
“This case overall highlights the importance when parents are sending kids abroad to know exactly where you're sending your kids,” said Hayher. “You may be giving a travel waiver you may be signing all these documents but at the end of the day when a country is not party to a convention like this, this is the worst end result.”
Lebanon does not recognize international parental kidnapping as a crime and is not party to the Hague Convention on child abduction.
It also has no extradition treaties with Canada and Lebanese courts almost always award custody to the father.
While there is a Canada-wide warrant out for el-Huseini, it has little effect while he is overseas.
“He’s been charged with, under section 282 of the Criminal Code, contravening a custody order so it’s a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest,” said CPS S/Sgt Ryan Ayliffe, with the Domestic Conflict Unit.
Khalifeh is working with Calgary police, a lawyer and Foreign Affairs to get her son back and says she will do whatever it takes to ensure his safe return.
(With files from Ina Sidhu)
