Man who burned Koran outside Turkish consulate in London brands prosecution as ‘an assault on free speech'
A man who burned a Koran outside London's Turkish consulate branded his prosecution 'an assault on free speech' as campaigners argued the ruling 'signals a concerning capitulation to Islamic blasphemy codes'.
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Irish Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish wife of 'innocent hostage' in Iraq shares his first words after release
The Irish wife of an "innocent hostage" freed from prison in Iraq after four years has revealed his first words were, "my family, I'm out". Robert Pether left his family home at Elphin in Roscommon in April 2021 to fly to Baghdad to sort out a €20 million contract row between his Dubai-based employer and the Central Bank of Iraq. But he was arrested and jailed on fraud charges, which he denies and which the United Nations claims are false. After over four years of his family campaigning in the Irish Mirror for his freedom amid rapid deterioration in cancer survivor Rob's health, he is now out of prison. His wife Desree revealed he is in seriously bad health but cannot return home yet because Iraq has imposed a travel ban. She told us: "We got the news from Robert himself via video call on his solicitor's phone. His first words were, 'There's my family, I'm out'." She added that it is such "a huge relief" but he "is not home yet" so this is just a "step in the right direction". She revealed that she can't go to Iraq to bring him home for "urgent medical care" because their "kids are too scared of me going out to get him in case I would get jailed too". Desree said her husband is "unrecognisable" to her, four years after she last saw him. She hopes that the move to get him home will start as soon as the Islamic holiday of Eid ends. The religious period, which is often used by countries in the Middle East to release prisoners, started yesterday and ends on Tuesday, June 10. The UAE released 963 as part of Eid and Afghanistan released 1,500, according to international figures. Desree told the Irish Mirror: "It was a really brief call when he rang to say he was out. It was the first time that we had seen him in the flesh in four years. "We were in shock because he has deteriorated so much. He is unrecognisable. "He is really scrawny and skinny and looks so unwell. It was a huge shock for the kids to see him like that. "We knew that he had been sick for the last four months, but to actually see the toll that all of this has taken on his body was shocking. "It reinforced for us how much we have to fight to get rid of this travel ban and get him home after Eid finishes. "He needs to get home for urgent medical treatment. We are talking to him and trying to keep up his spirits and keep him company while we try to get him home. "It is a huge relief that we have taken a step in the right direction, but he is not here yet. I can't go to him. "The children are just not comfortable with me flying over. They have already lost one parent and they don't trust that I would be safe. "They would be devastated if they lost me as well. We can't be there with him now, but it is brilliant that it is happening. We are massively grateful." She added: "Robert is not well at all. He really needs to just come home so he can get the proper medical care he needs. "It was a shock. It was hard to be very happy to see him but also to see the state of him. "He's completely unrecognisable. It's a shock to the system to see how far he has declined. "We don't know the exact stipulations on the travel ban but at least he's out of the prison, and in a comfortable bed. "It has been a living nightmare every day, 18 hours a day, seven days a week. "We've still got another major battle ahead to get him home. Until he's actually on the plane, out of airspace, and on his way, I don't think we will breathe properly and let go of all the angst." Rob, who is from Australia but his home is in Roscommon, applied for Irish citizenship before he was sentenced to four years in prison. His family – who say he is an "innocent hostage" – last month warned in the Irish Mirror that he had been hit with a new cancer diagnosis. They said his continued detention could mean a death sentence. Rob, who previously had melanoma skin cancer, has a prostate that is "three times normal size", revealed Desree. His family expected him to be released in January, but he was hit with fresh money-laundering charges, which Rob and his lawyers have rejected. Efforts to have him released urgently intensified, with Tanaiste Simon Harris holding top level talks with Iraq's deputy prime minister Dr Fuad Hussein to lobby for Rob's freedom. The family was making plans to sell their home, their car, and their furniture in a bid to raise cash to "survive". Construction engineer Rob, 49, and wife Desree, 53, and kids Flynn 21, Oscar 19, and Nala 12 have been apart since he was arrested in April 2021. Several high-profile figures including Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Mr Harris, Sinn Fein Dail TD Claire Kerrane, party leader Mary Lou McDonald, and former senator Eugene Murphy all vowed to help secure his release. Australia's foreign affairs minister Penny Wong recently called for his release and said: "It's time for him to be returned to his family." A spokesperson for America's special presidential envoy for hostage affairs (SPEHA) said recently: "We hope to see him reunited with his family as soon as possible." Mr Harris said the latest development is "welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert's wife, three children and his wider family and friends"
The Journal
2 days ago
- The Journal
Debunked: Video of Dublin used in false claim about ‘massacre' on day of Carlow shooting
A VIDEO TAKEN in Dublin that was falsely said to show a 'shopping mall massacre' in which a nine-year-old child was shot by a man carrying explosives, has been shared millions of times on social media. The claim is untrue, and the video is unrelated. Several posts making this claim appeared online on 1 June, after reports of a gunman at a shopping centre in Carlow. Gardaí quickly stated that a shooting incident had occurred, but within hours explained that the only person who had died was the suspect, from self-inflicted injuries. The suspect was a white, Irish man from the local area. A girl was injured when she fell while running away from the scene and required attention from paramedics, though did not need hospital care. While the bomb squad had been called in, no explosives were found at the scene. These events are likely to have spurred speculation about a child being shot and explosive vests. Some of the misinformation that was spread on social media included claims that seven people had been shot; that the gunman was shot dead by Gardaí; and that he was an Islamic terrorist. However, one viral post about the incident was notable for sharing a video that wasn't from anywhere near the scene and for including a number of other false claims. It was viewed millions of times. The post shared a video of Gardaí rushing down a street with sirens blaring in the background, alongside a caption that stated: 'Something very serious is unfolding in Ireland right now. 'Today's Shopping Mall Massacre, which saw a 9-year-old girl shot by a man who had explosives strapped to his body, has enraged the General Public. Ireland may have a Civil War VERY soon. The Irish have had enough.' However, there was no 'massacre', a nine-year-old was not shot, and the gunman did not have explosives strapped to his body. The video clearly shows Gardaí on Grafton Street in Dublin. Advertisement The scene in the video does not look anything like the area around Fairgreen Shopping Centre, where the incident occurred, nor anywhere else in Carlow town. The post was shared by the @CilComLFC account on X, and has been viewed more than 5,700,000 times at the time of writing. The @CilComLFC account has a blue tick on X, a symbol that previously signified that the account belonged to an organisation or public figures, including politicians, recognised authorities and journalists. However, since the takeover of the company by Elon Musk, these ticks now indicate that the account has paid for a subscription — though X still, misleadingly, refers to these accounts as being 'verified' . Paid subscribers also have their posts boosted to get more views and are eligible for X's Creator Revenue Sharing programme , where accounts get paid for getting high engagement with their posts. Posts by the @CilComLFC account have been re-shared on the feed of Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform. The account frequently spreads misinformation, often targeting migrants, and claims to be Irish. Identical posts, using the same footage and wording, were also posted to Facebook multiple times. There, they have accumulated more than 34,000 views, according to statistics from Meta, Facebook's parent company. They repeat the false claims that the video from Dublin shows a 'massacre' in which a nine-year-old was shot by a gunman who had explosives strapped to his body. In reality, there was no massacre, no explosives, and nobody aside from the shooter sustained injuries from a gun. Want to be your own fact-checker? Visit our brand-new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for guides and toolkits The Journal's FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network's Code of Principles. You can read it here . For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader's Guide here . You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... It is vital that we surface facts from noise. Articles like this one brings you clarity, transparency and balance so you can make well-informed decisions. We set up FactCheck in 2016 to proactively expose false or misleading information, but to continue to deliver on this mission we need your support. Over 5,000 readers like you support us. If you can, please consider setting up a monthly payment or making a once-off donation to keep news free to everyone. Learn More Support The Journal
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Married Irish woman arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting man in Magaluf hotel
The 37-year-old was hauled to court after being accused of touching her alleged victim's genitals without his consent A married Irish woman has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a man at the spa of a Magaluf hotel where she is understood to have been staying with her husband. The 37-year-old was hauled to court after being accused of touching her alleged victim's genitals without his consent. The brunette was taken into the court building in the Majorcan capital Palma by an armed police officer. Police are expected to reveal more detail about yesterday's arrest in the coming hours. The Irish tourist, who was released on bail by an investigating judge still probing the alleged crime, has not been named. The alleged sex assault happened around 6pm on Tuesday. The hotel has not been identified. Well-placed sources said the Swedish man was already in the hotel sauna when the female holidaymaker came in and sat near him and struck up a conversation with him after asking him how long he had been in Magaluf. She left the sauna and took a dip in a swimming pool beside it before following the man into a Turkish steam bath where the alleged sex assault took place according to a police report sent to the investigating court. The male holidaymaker is understood to have alerted hotel staff who called the police after telling the Irish woman to stop as she 'sexually molested' him without warning. The Irishwoman being brought to court News in 90 Seconds - 5th June 2025 Although she denied any inappropriate behaviour when cops reached the hotel and quizzed her on the spot, she told the judge she regretted her actions and wrongly thought the man was interested in her in court hours later. Her alleged court confession has not yet been confirmed by police or court officials.
