In June 2001, I returned to Lebanon and after 9 months of negotiation, we signed a mutual agreement (February 2002) recognized by the Maronite court. The agreement was contingent my relinquishing my French custodial rights to my children. According to this agreement Nabil retain custody and I had the right of accommodation. I was permitted to see my children twice a week and every other week-end.
However, my husband was unable to obtain an annulment despite his slanderous attacks for three years. So, in order to obtain a divorce, he secretly converted to Sunni Islam in January 2005…although he continued practicing Christian rites (mass, first communion).

In July 2005, I received my repudiation from the Sunni court, as well as minimal visitation rights. I immediately appealed on the grounds that since we had been married in the Maronite church, only that church could annul it. In April 13thy 2006 the Sunni court admitted that this matter didn’t fall within their jurisdiction, thus confirming my belief that only the Maronite court could judge this case. As for my visitation rights, they were transformed into custody by the Maronite authorities (in July 2005) because the opportunistic conversion of my husband had deprived him of his paternal right. But that was never applied.

While I was with my children in July 17th, Nabil Fahed, his brothers and a priest took the girls from me, threatening me of serious reprisals. A jail sentence was issued against my husband in the end of July. On July 28th, we enlisted the help of the consulate and the Lebanese FSI (interior security forces), and decided to go get Anais and Pauline in the village where my in-laws had hidden them. Unfortunately, the police let my brother in-law get away with my children, letting him find another family in which he could take refuge. When we found this new place, the Lebanese police refused to intervene.

I’ve not had any contact with my daughters since. I don’t know where, or with whom they live; I don’t know what school they go to. My oldest daughter has health problems that need medical care (urinary infection). She’s not covered by her father’s insurance.

Nevertheless, a 3-month jail sentence was issued against my husband in October 2005. Unfortunately, Nabil has not yet been found and so has not served it…I feel he cannot have disappeared without the help of the police, religious and political authorities! It appears that his family has been sheltering him in Jounieh’s area (Maronite territory) despite their declaration to the police that he had moved with the children to an area controlled by the Hezbollah.

Furthermore, the girl’s names do not appear on any official national education list. Has a teacher defied his or her obligation to declare every children of her school to the government and by doing so deprive a foreign mother of her rights?

I have the support of the French Embassy. But despite Mr. Bernard Emié’s letter to his Lebanese counterparts, the Interior minister and minister of Justice, there is no resolution.

How can two little girls be untraceable in spite of the technical cooperation between the French police and the FSI costing 250 000 euros a year? Will I remain in this state of perpetual anxiety, not knowing where my children live or whether they are doing fine?