2 days ago
Desree Pether says Australian engineer Robert Pether 'unrecognisable' after release from Iraqi prison
Australian man Robert Pether is "unrecognisable" after his late-night release from an Iraqi jail, according to his wife and family who have spoken to him since he entered a safe house in a secret location in Baghdad.
The 50-year-old engineer had been languishing behind bars for four years before Iraqi authorities decided to release him on bail on Thursday night local time, along with his colleague Khalid Zaghoul Radwan.
His family has held grave concerns for him, repeatedly calling for his release on humanitarian grounds as his physical and mental health deteriorated.
"He's barely able to walk, he's very weak," his wife Desree told ABC News from the family home in Ireland.
"He's unrecognisable to look at him — if you looked at him and looked at his passport photo, you would think it was two different men. He looks like a 70-year-old."
Mrs Pether said her husband was able to speak to his children soon after his release.
"They're just so numb at this point, there's been so many blows and I think until we actually get him home and we can physically hug him and he's here in front of us, it'll still be a bit surreal for them."
Mr Pether and Mr Radwan were jailed on what their families and lawyers have long argued were trumped-up fraud charges, relating to their work as contractors on the construction of the new Central Bank of Iraq headquarters in Baghdad.
Both men maintain their innocence, and Mr Pether insists he was forced to sign a confession written for him in Arabic — a language he does not speak.
A UN inquiry found there was evidence the men had been tortured prior to their convictions.
Despite being freed from jail, the two men remain subject to travel bans as part of their bail restrictions.
The specific details of those restrictions are unclear, and are unlikely to be revealed until next week, after the Eid al-Adha holidays in Iraq.
It is feared the travel ban may coincide with further investigations into the men's conduct, with fresh money-laundering charges being considered by Iraqi authorities — allegations the Pether family have roundly rejected.
"All we know is that he is out of the prison, and I guess in a state of limbo," Mrs Pether said.
"But at least he can communicate with us a lot more, and hopefully we can keep his spirits up and he can get some counselling as well.
"It's a small step in the right direction, but we're very, very worried about his health."
Last month, Mrs Pether said the family were worried he had developed lung cancer whilst in jail.
The family is also in a perilous financial situation, having been forced to try to sell their home in Ireland to pay for Mr Pether's legal fees and now the cost of his accommodation.
"We really just need to get him out of there and back to Ireland or Australia where he can get the appropriate medical care that he needs so desperately," Mrs Pether said.
Despite Mr Pether being an Australian citizen, the family has previously reached out to the Irish government for assistance in lobbying for his release, concerned Australian officials were not pushing his case hard enough.
Ireland's Tánaiste, or deputy prime minister, Simon Harris, released a statement saying he had spoken directly with Mr Pether.
"We will not rest until we get him back home to Roscommon and to his family," he posted on X.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also welcomed his release.
"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 in a statement.
"While Mr Pether remains subject to legal proceedings in Iraq, this is a positive development and follows persistent Australian government advocacy over many years."
