- .Polish woman and Libyan man had child after meeting in south Wales
- .But after they split, father snatched the baby and took her to North Africa
- .Father returned to UK and was jailed for kidnap but left child in Libya
- .Heartbroken mother has now not seen her child face-to-face for two years
- .She has now made a desperate plea for the girl to be returned to her
A mother has made an emotional appeal for her husband's family to return her young daughter, who was taken to Libya in a 'tug-of-love' battle between the parents.
Mal Szymanowicz's daughter Talia was snatched by Maher Belaid, Ms Szymanowicz's estranged husband in 2012 and taken to his home country in North Africa.
Belaid was jailed for the kidnap last year after returning to Britain without Talia, who remains in Libya and has not spent time with her mother for two years.
He has refused to comply with a court order to bring the little girl back to the UK to see her mother, who only gets to speak to her in painfully-short exchanges on Skype.
Mal Szymanowicz has made an emotional plea for the return of her daughter, who was snatched by Ms Szymanowicz's estranged husband Maher Belaid (pictured, right, at their wedding)
Ms Szymanowicz has now made a desperate plea for help in having the youngster returned to her home in Barry, south Wales.
She said: 'My heart is broken, I can't even put my pain into words. I wonder if I will ever see my beautiful daughter again.
'I cry every single day for her. She was only-15-weeks old when she was stolen, now she is two. Its so long since I held her in my arms, they feel so empty.
'What Belaid has done is beyond cruel. He has deprived Talia of a mother and me of my only child. It's a physical pain that never goes away.'
'It's like being in a never-ending nightmare - there must be someone out there who can help me get my baby girl back.'
Ms Szymanowicz came to Britain from Poland in 2002 and met Libyan national Belaid, who working in a pizza takeaway, and they got married and had a child together.
This is one of few pictures Ms Szymanowicz has of her and her baby, who was snatched aged just 15 weeks
Their marriage - the only thing which allowed Belaid to stay in the UK - broke down soon after Talia was born.
Ms Szymanowicz was at Mothercare with her then 15-week-old daughter when she was snatched by Belaid and taken to the unstable North African country.
She said: 'It was an ordinary day and we went shopping as a family into town.
'While I was buying new clothes for Talia my husband said he would go for a coffee with Talia but instead he kidnapped her and took her to Libya.'
The youngster is now two years old and living with Belaid's family in war-torn Libya, who are refusing to return the youngster to Britain
Ms Szymanowicz has been apart from her daughter since November 2012 - and has only seen her during brief Skype calls.
Little Talia, now two, is being looked after by Belaid's Libyan family and calls her grandmother 'mum'.
Ms Szymanowicz added: 'I've been allowed to see her on Skye for a few minutes but she now calls my husband's mother 'mum'. She doesn't even really know who I am.'
Belaid returned to the UK earlier this year, but didn't bring Talia with him, he was arrested at Gatwick airport for abuction.
Cardiff Crown Court heard how his baby snatch was inspired by his uncle Mohammed who also stayed in Libya with his young daughter and not allowed her to return to Britain.
Judge Patrick Harrington QC told Belaid to return Talia to the UK but he refused to co-operate.
He said: 'You put into effect a cruel deception and the torment you have inflicted on a very nice girl is simply beyond measure. Rarely have I seen a case of such unspeakable cruelty.'
There is currently no prospect of Talia being returned home, although Ms Szymanowicz has written to the Prime Minister and the British Embassy in Libya begging for help.
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