A California father has begun a hunger strike outside a prosecutor's office in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in an effort to secure the return of his 4-year-old autistic son, who he alleges was abducted by his ex-wife. Guillaume Garreau, 40, a tech professional from the Bay Area, has not seen his son, Maximilien, since March 2024.
Garreau initiated the protest as a last resort after a protracted 28-month legal battle. He claims his ex-wife, Sana Onayeva, took Maximilien to Kazakhstan despite a history of domestic abuse and a court finding against her. According to Garreau, Onayeva wired $220,000 to her brother in Kazakhstan shortly before she left the U.S. with the child.
A California judge, Michelle Tong, allowed Onayeva to travel with Maximilien overseas, a decision Garreau's attorneys opposed, citing the potential difficulty in recovering the child due to Kazakhstan not being a signatory to the Hague Abduction Convention.
A felony kidnapping warrant for Onayeva was issued on March 30, 2024, by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Garreau has reportedly spent over $250,000 in legal fees and efforts to locate his son, whose autism he fears has gone untreated.
Garreau stated that authorities had briefly located the child and mother in Kazakhstan, but that Maximilien experienced an "acute distress episode" requiring medical attention, after which they again disappeared. Kazakh courts have reportedly recognized the abduction and issued an order for Maximilien's return to California in February 2025, though Garreau asserts this order has not been enforced.
"The central issue is immediate: if authorities know where the child is, why has there been no swift, transparent action to secure his safety and enforce the law?" Garreau said in an email. "This is no longer just a custody dispute. It is a case raising urgent questions about child welfare, law enforcement credibility, and possible obstruction of a lawful process."
Garreau and Onayeva married in 2020 and had Maximilien in 2021. Garreau filed for separation in February 2023, alleging verbal and physical abuse by Onayeva. His legal team argued that she should not be allowed to travel with their son due to the domestic abuse finding and the lack of an international treaty to facilitate his return.
Guillaume Garreau is pictured with his son Maxmilien in happier times.
Sana Onayeva-Garreau is seen with her son, Maxmilien, in surveillance footage.
