Manouchehr Hadi Denies 'Kidnapping' His Daughter, Claims He Received Her 'By Direct Order' of the Court

Manouchehr Hadi, the ex-husband of Yekta Nasir, denied the allegation of 'kidnapping' their young daughter, emphasizing that he received her 'by direct order from the court office and with coordination and agreement.' A video of Yekta Nasir, a cinema and television actress, crying on Instagram about the 'kidnapping' of their daughter, Sophia, by her ex-husband has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many criticizing the lack of support for women under the laws of the Islamic Republic. Manouchehr Hadi, a director and producer in cinema and television, whom some consider 'affiliated with the Islamic Republic,' accused his ex-wife of 'emotional distress and reaction' and stated that their daughter, Sophia, would stay with him for four days. Meanwhile, Yekta Nasir, in her post, lamented that her ex-husband took their child and 'was supposed to bring her back, but did not.' She also mentioned that she filed a complaint with the police, but was told to 'wait because it is currently a holiday.' According to the judiciary-affiliated news agency Mizan, custody of the child is with Yekta Nasir, while Manouchehr Hadi has the right to 'one hour of visitation per week at the police station' according to a temporary court order. Nevertheless, in part of his Instagram note, Manouchehr Hadi threatened Yekta Nasir, stating: 'I will definitely seek reinstatement in court, and she must respond and apologize on her personal page for all the lies and public confusion against me.' Yekta Nasir claimed she 'was beaten for 10 years' and 'has been separated for two years,' adding that she had hope in 'the law.' At the same time, several users reacted to a family photo of Manouchehr Hadi from a Yalda ceremony in 1398, with some identifying a woman standing with her back to the camera next to a young girl in the kitchen as Yekta Nasir, criticizing the 'anti-woman, anti-mother, and anti-child' laws of the Islamic Republic. Another user sarcastically asked, 'Find Yekta Nasir and her daughter in Manouchehr Hadi's Instagram post from when he was her husband.' The Mizan news agency noted that their daughter is 'seven years and three months old' and stated that if Yekta Nasir's claims are true, her complaint regarding the failure to deliver the child at the appointed time and place will be addressed according to regulations. Under the laws of the Islamic Republic, the guardianship of a child belongs to the father, and in the absence of the father, to the paternal grandfather. Regarding custody, if the child is under seven years old, custody is with the mother, and if over seven years old, custody is with the father.