Judge describes Egyptian father as 'cruel beyond imagination' as he is jailed for refusing to tell his wife where their daughter, six, is living

An Egyptian man who refuses to tell his ex-wife where their six-year-old daughter is living was today back in jail after a High Court judge described his behaviour as 'cruel beyond imagination'.
Tamer Salama, 35, of Southampton 'removed' Elsa Salama from the care of her English mother, Naomi Button, 39, of Leeds, while all three were visiting Egypt in December 2011, the High Court has heard.
The girl is thought to be with his family in Egypt and Miss Button has not seen or heard from her for more than 18 months.

Naomi Button with her daughter Elsa, whose father Tamer (right) 'removed' when the little girl was taken to Egypt to visit his family

Elsa is thought to be with her father's family in Egypt and Miss Button has not seen or heard from her for more than 18 months

Miss Button put out an international appeal for the return of her daughter, whose Christmas presents she has kept by the fireplace for the youngster's hopeful return

Elsa disappeared on December 27, 2011, after her parents, who had separated, took her on holiday to Sharm el-Sheikh to visit Salama's family

Miss Button, a leadership consultant, took legal action after Elsa vanished and Salama was jailed for breaching High Court orders to arrange the girl’s return to England or to reveal where she was.
He was initially imprisoned in January last year, then in January this year a judge ruled that he should stay in jail because he was continuing to breach orders.
On Tuesday another judge imposed a further six-month term after concluding that he was still in contempt.
Mr Justice Roderic Wood said he had no doubt that Salama could 'cause' Elsa’s return 'should he wish to do so'.
'He was shifty, evasive and plainly dishonest,' said the judge after hearing evidence from Salama at a High Court hearing in London which began on Monday.
'The egregious acts of the father are cruel beyond imagination.'
Mr Justice Roderic Wood added: 'This father has not even had the decency to offer provision of even the most basic information about the welfare of this little girl.'
And he went on: 'I can only imagine the distress of the child as her mother disappeared from her life.'
The judge also said Salama should compensate Miss Button for the money she had spent on litigation.
He heard that she had run up bills of about £25,000 in her fight to find Elsa and said he could see no reason why Salama should not pay 'every penny'.

Miss Button agreed in 2011 to go on holiday with him to Egypt so Elsa could see her grandparents

Salama, a physics teacher, had told the judge that it was 'beyond his control' to comply with High Court orders because his family had 'closed ranks' on him and moved homes. The judge said he did not believe Salama.
Earlier this year Miss Button put out an international appeal for the return of her daughter.
In January, High Court judges allowed her to speak about the case for the first time to appeal for information on her daughter's whereabouts.

'I can’t describe what life been like since she was taken,’ Miss Button said.

‘The worst times are when I wake up in the middle of the night. I worry that she’s crying for me, I wonder that she thinks I just left her.
'I don’t know what she’s been told. I don’t know if she thinks I don’t want her and I just left her in Egypt.
'The one thing I knew when I got on that plane [home from Egypt] without her is no matter what it took, no matter how long it took, I would find Elsa and she would find her life as it was.
'She found it very difficult being away from me for any length of time. I know that she wants to be back home with mummy and I hope that they do the right thing.'
Elsa disappeared on December 27, 2011, after her parents, who had separated, took her on holiday to Sharm el-Sheikh to visit Salama’s family. Salama sneaked her out of their apartment and texted Miss Button to demand she sign a contract giving up all parental responsibilities.
Miss Button went to the British Embassy and the local police for help but was forced to return to the UK to get legal advice.
Meanwhile, Salama also returned to England, where he had been training in Southampton to be a teacher.
He was detained by police and in January last year was jailed for contempt of court as he refused to reveal where he is hiding his daughter.
Miss Button, a consultant at Yorkshire Building Society, met Salama when he was working at an international school in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2005. The couple married in Egypt in 2006 and moved to England in 2007 following Elsa’s birth.
They separated in 2009 but continued to live together in the family home in Leeds for Elsa’s sake until Salama began a teacher training degree in August 2010.
Miss Button agreed in 2011 to go on holiday with him to Egypt so Elsa could see her grandparents.
While they were there, she asked him to consider a divorce and admitted she had struck up a relationship with an ex-boyfriend. Furious, Salama tried to make her give up Elsa by accusing her of adultery – a criminal offence in Egypt.
Miss Button has been prevented from talking about the case until January because Elsa was made a ward of court, meaning her identity could not be revealed.
 dailymail.co.uk