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Australian engineer Robert Pether leaves Iraq after years of detention
Overview
Australian engineer Robert Pether has left Iraq to reunite with his family in Ireland after being detained for five years. Pether was arrested in 2021 on fraud charges following a contract dispute between his employer, CME Consulting, and the Central Bank of Iraq. The UN previously declared his detention arbitrary and illegal, and an international court ruled that his employer was not responsible for the dispute.
Key points
- Australian engineer Robert Pether has left Iraq after five years of detention.
- Pether was arrested in 2021 alongside Egyptian colleague Khalid Radwan over a contract dispute involving the Central Bank of Iraq.
- The UN determined in 2022 that Pether's detention contravened international law and involved coercive interrogations.
- The International Chamber of Commerce's Court of Arbitration ruled in 2023 that the Central Bank of Iraq was at fault in the dispute.
- The Australian government confirmed Pether is returning home to his family in Ireland following years of advocacy.