British mother pleas for help to bring her son back home from Lebanon

A British mother whose toddler son is in Beirut with his father in defiance of a court order told of her anguish after a plea to the Lebanese ambassador for help was rejected.

Catherine Flanagan’s son David, who turns three next week, was taken to the Lebanese capital by his father Mustapha Nahle, a consultant anaesthetist, in August 2022.

She fears he could be killed or severely wounded by an expected Israeli bombardment.

Nahle, chair of the anaesthesia department at Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, has refused to return David to the care of his mother, who lives in Belfast, despite orders by the High Court in Northern Ireland and the threat of a six-month prison sentence.

Earlier this week, Ms Flanagan, 39, called on Sir Keir Starmer and the Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris to ‘pick up the phone’ to the Lebanese government and help remove her son before Israel begins its intervention.

Now Ms Flanagan has revealed details of her heartfelt letter to Rami Mortada, Lebanese Ambassador to the UK – which was hand-delivered to the embassy - calling for help so her son is ‘removed from harm’s way’.

The rejection of any help, sent by one of his officials, was slammed by Ms Flanagan as ‘an absolute indictment on Lebanon’ – and she attacked the ambassador for ‘not even have the decency to be even a bit concerned’.

The mother wrote to Mr Mortada despite the ambassador refusing to meet with her and a mediator acting on her behalf.

In her letter, Ms Flanagan said: ‘There would be nothing to prohibit David returning to Lebanon when it is safe and him travelling freely between our two countries and enjoying the care, companionship and love of both his father and myself.

‘It is with great regret that I see Lebanon again attacked by its neighbour and we all witness the carnage of human suffering and physical devastation of your country daily. I believe it is time to put David’s safety first.’

Ms Flanagan revealed in her letter that her estranged husband, who she married in 2021, had treated her with ‘absolute disregard’ – and subjected her to threats violence in Britain and on visits to Lebanon – details of which have already been described in court proceedings in the UK.

She told the ambassador: ‘The incontrovertible record of proceedings of the High Court are replete with a litany of violence and abuse inflicted upon me by Dr. Mustapha Nahle.

‘He has been sentenced to prison (in his absence) for his contempt of the High Court Order for David's return to my care, custody and control.’

Ms Flanagan, who last saw her son by video call on September 21, said she believes her son will suffer ‘emotional injuries’ by ‘having a loving mother-child bond broken when that was all he had ever known’.

She added: ‘The UK and Irish governments, police officials in the UK, Ireland, Lebanon and Interpol are all aware of the sordid details of this matter. I have also made the Vatican aware through their Nuncios.

‘I trust you can imagine my fear in knowing my baby boy is living in in a nation and city under constant attack and the threat of a ground incursion into Lebanon grows daily.

‘My baby is unlawfully being held in Lebanon. The security situation is wholly dreadful; it is nothing to do with David or me, David should not be there.’

But in response to her letter, Ms Flanagan received only a reply from a consular official saying the embassy has ‘no contacts or connections with the Nahle family’.

It adds: ‘Hopefully the parents can best agree on what is suitable for their child.’

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Ms Flanagan would need to follow the Lebanese judicial process.

Ms Flanagan said: The response on behalf of the Lebanese Embassy does not even have the decency to be even a bit concerned, even if for show.

‘(Ambassador) Mortada has known about David for months. It’s an absolute indictment on Lebanon.’

She added that she wants details of how the Lebanese Embassy handled her case to be published ‘to show how utterly disgraceful this man (Nahle) and this country is.

‘This is a country we are giving millions of pounds to in aid and giving cooperation with scholarships and support.’