A Newfoundland and Labrador mother says the criminal process in Egypt could help advance the search for her five-year-old daughter after three unsuccessful attempts to locate her.
Sanela Kukac
Kicker
A criminal process against a father who abducted his daughter is set to begin in Alexandria, Egypt, next week in the case of a five-year-old child taken abroad from St. John’s, lawyers say.
In an email statement, the child’s mother, Bouchra Marbouhi, said she is hopeful the process will help advance the search for her daughter.
“Police have told me that criminal charges will help move the case forward and assist in locating Tamara,” Marbouhi said. “I’m holding onto hope and doing everything I can to stay strong.”
Bouchra Marbouhi hasn’t seen her five-year-old daughter, Tamara ElGammal, since Sept. 27, when her estranged husband, Ahmed ElGammal, took the child to Alexandria, Egypt, after a routine sleepover.
Tamara never returned from the sleepover, despite a court order requiring both parents to keep the child in the St. John’s metro area.
Police in Newfoundland and Labrador issued an arrest warrant on Oct. 29 for 36-year-old ElGammal on charges of abduction in contravention of a custody or parenting order.
Criminal lawyer Ahmed Haggag, who is assisting with the case in Egypt, said he and authorities conducted a third attempt to locate Tamara on Feb. 9, visiting the father’s apartment but finding no one there.
He said the Egyptian police were cooperative and that the necessary documents are now complete to begin the criminal process next week.
“The most important thing right now is to find Tamara,” Haggag added.
Custody granted, but child still missing
Marbouhi’s attempts to retrieve her daughter have been complicated by the fact Egypt is not part of the Hague Convention, an international agreement that helps countries return children who are wrongfully taken by parents from one country to another.
If Egypt were part of the Hague Convention, a court would order that Tamara just be returned to her mother out of recognition of Canadian law. Instead, Marbouhi first had to argue before an Egyptian court that her daughter’s best interests were served by being in her custody, as stipulated by Egyptian law.
Bouchra was granted custody of her daughter in Egypt in late December, with the court ruling that the child’s best interests were served by living with her mother. The court ordered that Tamara be returned immediately to to Bouchra.
However, when police and Marbouhi’s legal team attempted to enforce the ruling, they could locate neither ElGammal nor the child.
Elyse McGrath, chair of Violence Prevention Avalon East, said the legal team believes ElGammal may have been alerted before police arrived to enforce the custody order.
McGrath said items belonging to the child, including clothing and toys, were found at ElGammal’s mother’s residence in Egypt, suggesting Tamara may have been there at some point.
Despite multiple visits to family residences, authorities have not been able to confirm Tamara’s location or well-being.
Marbouhi said the waiting has been devastating.
“Everything has been hard. I haven’t seen or heard from my daughter for more than four months. We were never apart for more than a day. My life has stopped since she was taken, and it’s impossible to imagine a future without her.”
The abduction has had a deep impact on Bouchra’s family.
“I lost my father last month, and his last wish was to speak with Tamara, his only grandchild, whom he loved very much,” Bouchra said. “That never happened because she was taken and hidden from me.”
Travel Ban
In Egypt, courts can issue travel bans to prevent a child or parent from leaving the country while custody or guardianship cases are pending. Such bans are usually requested by a parent or guardian and ordered by a judge.
In this case, Ahmed ElGammal requested the ban in November before Marbouhi arrived in Egypt on Dec. 11.
Travel bans in Egypt are intended as a protective measure, not as a legal weapon.
The parent requesting the ban must serve all documentation to the other parent, but Marbouhi was not in Egypt when the documents were served to an address known to both her and her former husband.
Lifting a travel ban typically requires a court order, proof of custody rights or consent from the other guardian, and sometimes additional guarantees such as financial or legal assurances.
Marbouhi obtained an Egyptian court order in mid-December granting her custody of Tamara, effective immediately. But, even though she has custody of her daughter, she would not currently be able take the girl out of Egypt even after locating her.
Marbouhi is scheduled to appeal the travel ban in March. She said lifting the travel ban would allow her and her daughter to live freely.
“If the travel ban is lifted, it would mean a safer and more stable life for both of us, and freedom to live without fear,” Marbouhi said. “It would also mean the ability to visit my family. Tamara has a family who loves her deeply and wants to see her.”
Interpol Application
The RNC and RCMP have confirmed that an application to Interpol for a “red notice” was submitted in November 2025. Interpol describes their red notice as “a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”
Interpol Red Notices can be very valuable in receiving assistance from authorities in Egypt that can assist in locating Ahmed Elgammal and Tamara.
To date, Marbouhi and her lawyers have received no updates on the status of the red notice application.
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