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Australian engineer freed from Baghdad jail lands in Dublin after five-year ordeal

Robert Pether, released from prison in June last year but barred from leaving Iraq, is reunited with his wife and children in Ireland

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Australian engineer Robert Pether has been reunited with his family in Dublin after finally being allowed to leave Iraq, more than five years after his arrest on fraud charges he and his family long argued were trumped-up.

Australian engineer Robert Pether has paid an emotional tribute to his family after touching down in Dublin, moments after finally being permitted to leave Iraq.

Mr Pether, 51, was arrested in 2021 alongside an Egyptian colleague, Khalid Zaghloul, and later found guilty by an Iraqi court of fraud charges relating to his work as a contractor on the massive Central Bank of Iraq headquarters construction project. His sentence carried a $16 million fine.

He was released from jail in June last year but remained banned from leaving Iraq until this week. Australia's ambassador to Iraq, Glenn Miles, accompanied him on the flight out of the country.

Speaking to media at Dublin Airport and fighting back tears after reuniting with his wife Desree and their children, who are based in Ireland, Mr Pether said his family had "lived this every single day with me."

"Our children lost years with their dad. They watched their mum fight every day to try and bring me home," he said.

Desree Pether has been her husband's most vocal advocate, campaigning for years for his release. She repeatedly raised concerns about his physical and mental health behind bars, and argued he was forced to sign a confession written in Arabic without knowing what it contained.

In 2021, the United Nations investigated the situation facing Mr Pether and Mr Zaghloul and said the pair had been subjected to "acts of torture and ill treatment."

Mr Pether said there would be time to discuss "what happened, why it happened, who was responsible," but insisted that coming home "should never be mistaken for that injustice somehow having been corrected."

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Mr Pether spent more than five years detained in Iraq, including more than a year under a travel ban after his release from prison, in a case the UN said involved torture and ill treatment.
  • The case underscores the risks faced by Australians working on major construction and reconstruction projects in conflict-affected countries, where consular protection can only go so far when local courts are involved.
  • His wife's long campaign drew sustained attention to the family's claims of a coerced confession and a flawed prosecution, raising questions about accountability that remain unanswered.

Background

Mr Pether was a contractor on the Central Bank of Iraq headquarters project in Baghdad, a construction program of national significance for Iraq. He was convicted of fraud in an Iraqi court, a verdict his family maintained was based on trumped-up charges, and was fined $16 million. The UN's 2021 finding of torture and ill treatment became a central part of the family's case for his release. The case echoes others in which Australians detained abroad have depended on years of family campaigning and diplomatic intervention to secure their return.

Key Perspectives

Robert Pether and his family: They have consistently maintained the fraud charges were trumped-up, argued he was forced to sign a confession in Arabic, and say his release does not correct the injustice of his imprisonment.

Iraqi authorities: An Iraqi court found Mr Pether guilty and imposed the $16 million fine, and the travel ban that kept him in the country for more than a year after his release was only lifted this week.

The United Nations: A 2021 investigation said Mr Pether and his colleague had been subjected to "acts of torture and ill treatment," a finding the family has cited in arguing his prosecution was flawed.

The Australian government: The ambassador to Iraq, Glenn Miles, accompanied Mr Pether on his flight out of Iraq, indicating official facilitation of his long-awaited departure.

What to Watch

  • Whether Mr Pether speaks further about blame, and whether he or his family pursue any legal or political path to accountability for his treatment.
  • The situation of his Egyptian colleague Khalid Zaghloul, who was arrested alongside him and covered by the same UN investigation.
  • Any public response from the Iraqi government or from Australian ministers about how the case was handled.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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