Returning Abducted Brothers from Istanbul to Moscow: A Success Story

International child abduction cases, unfortunately, are not uncommon in today's world. Each such case is unique and demands determination, perseverance, and sensitivity from the parent who has been separated from their children.

This story is about the return of two brothers from Istanbul to Moscow, made possible through the efforts of attorney Artur Kuznetsov's team and the tremendous persistence of the children's mother.

Background

A year ago, the lives of a Russian-American family were turned upside down: the father unlawfully took their two sons to Turkey — to Istanbul — for permanent residence, without the knowledge or consent of their mother. Since then, the mother had no way of communicating with her children and was kept completely in the dark about their whereabouts. The father, acting illegally, had violated a Russian court order establishing the children's place of residence. The children held dual citizenship — Russian and American.

First stage: Engaging a lawyer

In desperation, the mother had turned to various lawyers in Turkey, the USA, and Russia. After paying retainer fees, none of them made any progress — they were not even able to determine which country the father and children were in.

After six months of fruitless searching following the abduction, the mother found information about attorney Artur Kuznetsov through social media.

Power of attorney for attorney Artur Kuznetsov

Locating the children

The first and most critical task was to establish the children's exact location — something that had not been achieved by any of the previous attorneys. After the divorce, the father had lived in the United States and in European Union countries for an extended period.

Working together with private investigators, the attorney began a search that involved gathering data from Russian and Turkish authorities, as well as conducting investigations through social media and other publicly available sources.

Before long, the address in Istanbul where the children were actually living with their father was identified.

The children's school in Istanbul

Photos from the business trip to Istanbul, Turkey

Recognition of the Russian court order in Turkey

The next step was to have the Russian court ruling recognised in Istanbul. Working alongside Turkish colleagues, the attorney acted on the basis of international treaties and legal agreements governing custody and child residence between the two countries. A series of legal documents was filed with the Turkish court demanding recognition and enforcement of the Russian court's decision.

Court registry in Istanbul

The Turkish authorities acknowledged the documentary validity and legitimacy of the mother's claims; as a result, an order was issued for the return of the children to Moscow.

At Istanbul IST Airport

The return

Thanks to the decisive actions of the attorney, the support of the Turkish judicial authorities, police, and established legal connections, the children were formally handed over to their mother. The brothers' return to Moscow involved not only procedural challenges but emotional ones too — yet thanks to care and professionalism, the process proceeded as smoothly as possible for all parties.

Prior to this case, our team had organised various court proceedings in Turkey representing the interests of our clients. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out by direct message or at info@arturkuznetcov.team.

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