Sabina Javadli, the mother of former Azerbaijani gymnast Zeynab Javadli, has issued a video appeal after claiming she has been unable to establish contact with her daughter and grandchildren for the past five days, İdman.Biz reports.
According to the statement, the family has received no information about where Zeynab Javadli and her children are being held or the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
"As a mother, I am deeply worried. For five days, I have not known where my daughter Zeynab and her children are, where they were taken or what happened to them. I appeal to the people of Azerbaijan and the international community to help us," Sabina Javadli said.
The case has attracted international attention following reports from the BBC citing the Dubai Public Prosecutor's Office. According to the report, Javadli was detained following a complaint filed by her former husband, Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a nephew of Dubai's ruler.
Authorities allege that Javadli took the children with her during a court-approved visitation period. The Dubai Public Prosecutor's Office has confirmed that an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Earlier reports suggested that Javadli and her three daughters were detained by Dubai police during a late-night operation. Her British lawyer, David Haigh, stated that all contact with her was lost following the detention.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of a long-running custody battle between the former spouses. Both sides have previously accused each other of abducting the children. It has also been reported that Sabina Javadli travelled to Dubai to support her daughter but was not permitted to enter the family residence.
