Labor revels in election afterglow as ministry sworn in
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke could be in the running for the biggest Bible of the day after he was sworn in on a large tome, brought to Australia by his great-grandfather in the aftermath of the Irish famine.
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9 News
a day ago
- 9 News
Australian father released from Iraqi prison on bail after four years
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Australian father Robert Pether has been released on bail from an Iraqi prison after more than four years of arbitrary detention. Pether and his colleague were arrested on fraud charges in Baghdad on April 7, 2021, after a contractual dispute between their employer CME Consulting and the Central Bank of Iraq. The engineer was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and a $16 million fine later that year. Australian engineer Robert Pether and his family. (Nine) A United Nations working group ruled he had been arbitrarily detained and did not receive his right to a fair trial and due process. Pether, who has maintained his innocence, claimed he had been forced to sign a pre-written incriminating confession in Arabic. Pether has now been released on bail. He is still subject to legal proceedings in Iraq. Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed his release after helping raise his matter with Iraqi authorities more than 200 times. "I know the personal toll Mr Pether's detention has taken on him and his family and hope this news brings a measure of relief after years of distress," she said. "While Mr Pether remains subject to legal proceedings in Iraq, this is a positive development and follows persistent Australian Government advocacy over many years. "I want to thank Australian officials for their tireless work on Mr Pether's case, including Australia's special envoy who travelled to Iraq in recent weeks to negotiate for this outcome." Pether has now been released on bail. He is still subject to legal proceedings in Iraq. (Getty) Pether and his family had been living in Roscommon, Ireland, before his arrest in Iraq. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said he received a call from Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein informing him of the development in the "long and distressing" saga. "I was informed that Robert has been released on bail and for the moment he remains in Iraq, but I welcomed this as a first step to his being allowed to return to his family in Roscommon," he said. "I also spoke this evening with Robert's wife, Desree Pether, about this positive development." Pether will remain in Iraq while he is on bail. The Australian and Irish governments will continue to advocate for Pether throughout his ongoing legal proceedings. "We will continue to support Mr Pether and his family and to advocate for Mr Pether's interests and wellbeing," Wong said. "We remain concerned about Robert's health and outstanding charges, but I am hopeful now of a positive resolution in this case," Harris said. Pether has shared his distress in an emotional letter penned from behind bars last year, writing about missing crucial moments with his wife Desree and their four children Dylan, Flynn, Oscar and Nala. "I've missed so many milestones," he wrote. "Our oldest sons 30th, our other sons 18th and soon 21st and our youngest son's 16th and 18th. Our youngest two boys have finished school and are now young men. Our daughter was eight when I was arrested and is now 11. "I've missed three Christmases and four Easters, multiple birthdays, three wedding anniversaries, and so much more. "I want to go home. I want to go back to Australia and hear the birds, swim at the beach, sit and watch the harbour while the ferries come and go and feel the sun on my skin." Australia national Iraq World prison crime courts United Nations CONTACT US
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
Australian engineer released from Iraqi prison after four years
Australian man Robert Pether has been freed from an Iraqi jail on conditional bail after spending four years behind bars. Pether, 50, was arrested in April 2021 after being slapped with litany of fraud charges including deception following a bitter contract dispute between the consulting firm he was working for and the Central Bank of Iraq. The dispute also saw his Egyptian colleague Khalid Radwan imprisoned with the UN stating the detention of the two men and their treatment was illegal. Mr Pether, who was previously living in Ireland, was initially slapped with a jail sentence of five years and a hefty $16 million fine, with his wife and legal team describing the charges as trumped-up and invented. The man's health was reportedly failing with the UN emphasising there was credible evidence to suggest that Iraqi officials had used torture methods against him. Desree Pether told the ABC earlier in the year that she had grave concerns for her husband's physical and mental wellbeing, and that he had limited access to medical staff. Mr Pether's family also reiterated he had no involvement in the quarrel, and that he was being used as a bargaining chip due to substantial budget blowouts and delays related to the construction of the new Iraqi central bank headquarters. Iraqi authorities are yet to explain the reason behind Mr Pether's arrest and subsequent imprisonment, with Mrs Pether telling the BBC her husband was 'extremely sick' and still barred from leaving the country despite requiring urgent medial attention. Mrs Pether also said she spoke to her husband after his release on Thursday night and stated that 'he's on a but of a high tonight, but I think he'll come crashing down tomorrow'. "He's unrecognisable. If he got on a plane now and they were checking his passport, they would not know it was the same person,' she said, adding he was weak and unable to keep food down. "It's the first time in over four years that we've taken one step in the right direction,' she said and stated the family was still gripped with shock. "There's a tiny glimmer of hope, but there's another mountain still to go over." Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said Mr Pether's release was a positive development and that Iraq's Foreign Minister had called him to deliver the 'welcome news'. 'This evening, I have been informed of the release on bail of Robert Pether, whose imprisonment in Iraq has been a case of great concern,' he said in a statement. 'This is very welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert's wife, three children and his wider family and friends. He also spoke with Mr Pether and assured him that his government would tirelessly ensure his return to Ireland. Foreign Minister Penny Wong also welcomed the development and reiterated that Australia had relentlessly advocated for the man's release with the Iraqi government. "His case has been raised with Iraqi authorities over 200 times, including at the highest level by the Prime Minister and myself," Senator Wong said. A 2022 report from the UN said the case breached international law and that both men had been subjected to 'abusive and coercive' interrogations. In 2023 the International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) Court of Arbitration ruled that Iraq's central bank was at fault for the business disagreement with Mr Pether's employer CME and ordered it to pay $13 million to the company. Mrs Pether said her efforts are now turning to have her husband's travel ban lifted and she is also crowdfunding finances to get Mr Pether treated in a private hospital in Baghdad.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘It's been interesting': The awkward questions Brooke Boney gets in England
Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we're told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they're given. This week he talks to Brooke Boney. The Gamilaroi journalist, 38, has presented for Triple J, NITV, SBS, the ABC and Today, and is completing a master's in public policy at Oxford University. Her debut book, All of It, is a collection of essays. RELIGION Did you grow up with religion? It's a common misconception that all Aboriginal people are super-left or really progressive. There were always missionaries in Aboriginal communities, so in the country areas [Christian] religion is a big part of Aboriginality. My [maternal] grandparents believe in god; we weren't allowed to say any swear words, we weren't even allowed to say 'fart'. I used to go to church with my cousin and her nan and pop and they bought me a Bible, which I still have. The things we were taught about at Sunday school – about fairness, generosity and charity – are good principles. What do you tick now for 'Religion' on the census? Oh, I don't think I'd tick anything.
