Ontario Father Seeks Return of Daughter Abducted to Russia; Mother Faces Charges

Cookstown Father's Plea for Daughter's Return

Mark Whittaker, a 51-year-old resident of Cookstown, Ontario, is urgently seeking government intervention following the alleged abduction of his two-year-old daughter. Whittaker claims the child's mother, Tegmina Agadzhanyan, 40 or 41, took their daughter to Russia in March 2025 and has since refused to return to Canada. The father has been engaged in a year-long struggle to bring his daughter home, appealing to Canadian authorities for assistance in this complex international case.

Abduction Allegations and Legal Actions

The South Simcoe Police Service launched an investigation in March 2025 after Whittaker reported that Agadzhanyan had taken their daughter to Russia, initially under the pretense of a family visit, but subsequently made no attempts to return to Canada. During the ongoing police investigation, Whittaker initiated family court proceedings in Canada and successfully obtained a court order compelling the mother to return the child. However, police state that Agadzhanyan failed to appear at any Canadian court hearings and did not comply with the court order.

As a result of her alleged actions, the South Simcoe Police Service announced in September 2025 that an Ontario-wide, and subsequently Canada-wide, arrest warrant has been issued for Tegmina Agadzhanyan. She faces charges of:

• Abduction in contravention of a custody or parenting order
• Disobeying a court order

Father's Extensive Efforts and Challenges

Whittaker has described a challenging and costly battle to reunite with his daughter. He has reportedly spent over $300,000 on legal fees and travel, making seven trips to Russia to pursue his case. He was able to visit his daughter once for a few hours in March under strict conditions. Whittaker alleges that Agadzhanyan's motivation includes obtaining a 25% child support order from a Russian court, which he claims she secured after their relationship ended. He also notes that parental abduction is reportedly not criminalized in Russia, and Russian courts tend to favor the mother in such disputes, complicating his efforts to enforce Canadian court orders.

Call for Government Intervention

With the Canadian legal avenues exhausted for securing his daughter's immediate return, Mark Whittaker is now publicly appealing to the federal government for diplomatic and legal intervention. He hopes that increased governmental pressure and engagement with Russian officials might facilitate his daughter's safe return to Canada.