Latest news with #RobertPether
ABC News
11-05-2025
- ABC News
Fears Australian man Robert Pether has just weeks to live in an Iraqi jail
The family of Australian engineer Robert Pether fears he only has weeks to live, as his health rapidly deteriorates in an Iraqi jail and he struggles to get access to medical treatment. Mr Pether, who recently turned 50, has languished behind bars for more than four years after being convicted of what his family has consistently described as trumped-up charges. Late last week an Iraqi judge refused to release the results of medical tests Mr Pether underwent in a Baghdad hospital, with grave fears he has developed lung cancer in prison. "He's been really sick for about three months and in the last three weeks, nearly four weeks, he has not been able to keep any food down," Mr Pether's wife, Desree, told the ABC. "He's been in constant agony. Ms Pether said her husband was surviving solely on rice cereal mixed with egg and sweet tea and honey, and that fellow inmates were having to keep an eye on him to ensure he eats. "He told me that he has grey skin, he looks like he's got two black eyes because the circles under his eyes are so dark," she said. "His bones are sticking out, and it's uncomfortable for him to lie down because he's so bony." Mr Pether had already undergone rudimentary surgery for suspected skin cancers in jail. "I actually wrote to the Iraq embassy the other day and said, 'Will you actually release his body if he dies or are you still going to squabble over that?'" she said. "It's just absolutely astonishing." There had been hopes Mr Pether and his colleague, Khalid Zaghoul Radwan, would be released in early January after serving a prison sentence for fraud. The pair remained behind bars, with Iraqi authorities suggesting fresh money laundering charges were being considered. Their employer was locked in a bitter dispute with the Iraqi government, over contracted work on the new Central Bank of Iraq headquarters project in Baghdad. Both men have always maintained their innocence, and Mr Pether has insisted he was forced to sign a confession written for him in Arabic — a language he does not speak. Ms Pether said an outstanding mulit-million-dollar fine, which the family had no means of paying, was one of the hurdles to his freedom. She argued her husband was being held hostage and that his former employer and the Australian government had abandoned him. "I don't think he's going to last another few weeks, and so I immediately contacted the 24 hour [DFAT emergency] number in Canberra and told them and the embassy," Ms Pether said. "The embassy went and saw him on the Monday, and we asked them to take a photo of his condition and to tell us about his condition. "They wrote a report that they went for the visit, and they did not take a photo." She said DFAT officials were not scheduled to see Mr Pether again until June. A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Australian government continued to advocate for Mr Pether's release, and for appropriate medical treatment. "Australian citizen Robert Pether has now been in prison in Iraq for four years," the spokesperson said. "We want to acknowledge the personal toll Mr Pether's detention continues to take on him and his family. "He has served the custodial sentence imposed on him by the Iraqi courts. It's time for him to be returned to his family." The Australian government has previously insisted it has raised Mr Pether's case at the highest levels, with both the foreign minister and prime minister discussing the issue with their Iraqi counterparts. Ms Pether, who lives in Ireland, said the Irish government had done more to advocate for her husband than Australian authorities. She said the couple's children were showing remarkable strength, but found the situation unbearable. "And thinking that he's not going to come home." A United Nations report in 2021 said there was evidence Mr Pether and Mr Zaghloul were subjected to torture ahead of their conviction — allegations the Iraqi government has rejected. A ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce's Court of Arbitration found the Central Bank of Iraq was at fault in its dispute with the men's employer CME, not the other way around — as was the basis for their conviction.
BreakingNews.ie
23-04-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Roscommon resident marks his 50th birthday in Iraqi jail
A Roscommon resident has marked his 50th birthday in an Iraqi jail as his family continue to campaign to secure his release. Robert Pether, an Australian national who had been living in Elphin with his family, was arrested in Baghdad in April 2021 and later jailed on fraud charges. Advertisement The United Nations has described it as an arbitrary detention. The construction engineer was jailed after a €20 million contract row between his Dubai-based employer and the Central Bank of Iraq. His family expected him home at Christmas last year but instead were devastated to learn he was facing more charges and could now be jailed for another 15 years. Ireland Irish resident sentenced to imprisonment in Iraq f... Read More His wife, Desree, told the Roscommon Herald that it came as shock to learn he was arrested again and is being held pending new charges which she says are a spin-off from the ones in 2021. 'We haven't seen an arrest warrant. They didn't tell us, no one knew what was going on,' she said. The family are also faced with selling their home due to mounting legal costs. Mr Pether applied for Irish citizenship before he was sentenced. Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane has called for his release, while former senator Eugene Murphy said the situation needs to be brought to an end with the release of Mr Pether.
Irish Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Fears grow for Irish family's dad in Iraq jail hospitalised 3 times in a week
Innocent 'hostage' Robert Pether, who was jailed in Iraq on fraud charges, was found to have an enlarged prostate after he was hospitalised three times in a week. His distraught family in Ireland revealed Rob, who previously had melanoma skin cancer, has a prostate that is 'three times (the) normal size' and that he also has gallstones. Construction engineer Rob, 49, who is married to Desree Pether, 53, from Roscommon, has been locked up since April 2021. He was jailed over four years ago in a €20 million contract row between his Dubai-based employer and the Central Bank of Iraq. Several high-profile figures, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, Dáil TD Claire Kerrane and former senator Eugene Murphy, have vowed to help secure his release. Rob's worried wife has now sent an urgent appeal to the Iraqi embassy in Dublin and urged Iraq to 'let him go'. She told the Irish Mirror the threat to his health is 'very serious'. Desree said: 'He has been to the hospital three times in the past week. He is in pain and he can barely walk. His prostate is enlarged and is three times (the) normal size. He also has gallstones.' Gallstones can cause a blockage in the pancreatic duct and lead to inflammation of the pancreas and pancreatic cancer. Desree said: 'Gallstones can be dangerous. If they block a duct when Rob cannot get to the hospital quickly, it could be very serious. Surgery for Robert is dangerous, given the risk of infection for someone so sick. He has excruciating lung pain.' She added: 'There is a UN report published March 2022 and three international court rulings that state that he and his employer are completely innocent. He is being held hostage." Her husband was originally convicted of fraud, based on accusations made by Iraq against his Dubai-based employer. Rob, who is from Australia but his home is Elphin in Roscommon, applied for Irish citizenship before he was sentenced to four years in prison. Several attempts to appeal his case in court were blocked in Iraq and he was refused release when his four-year term expired on January 8 past. Instead, he was hit with fresh charges, including allegations of money laundering, which he denies. America's special presidential envoy for hostage affairs (SPEHA) last week posted online to call for Rob's release. A spokesperson for SPEHA said: "We stand with our Australian partners in calling for the release of Robert Pether, following the end of his custodial sentence. We hope to see him reunited with his family as soon as possible."
The National
09-04-2025
- Business
- The National
US calls for release of Dubai resident jailed in Iraq over contract dispute
The US has backed efforts to secure the release of a Dubai resident who has been detained in Iraq for more than four years over a contract dispute. The US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (Speha) made the call on the social media platform X on Wednesday evening, asking for Iraq to release the Australian citizen Robert Pether, who was jailed in 2021 and fined $12 million after a contract dispute between his employer and the authorities in Iraq. The National reported earlier this week that the Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong had called for Mr Pether to be returned home to his family. He has not been released despite having served his sentence. "We stand with our Australian partners in calling for the release of Robert Pether, following the end of his custodial sentence," the post on X from Speha stated. "We hope to see him reunited with his family as soon as possible." The intervention from the US was welcomed by Mr Pether's wife. "We are delighted. We have been trying for this [US involvement] for some time," said Desree Pether, speaking to The National. "Enough is enough. This [Robert's detention] is wrong and there are international court rulings stating that Robert is innocent and should never have been arrested in the first place." The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a report in 2022 describing Mr Pether's imprisonment as 'arbitrary and in contravention of international law'. A ruling in 2023 by the International Chamber of Commerce's International Court of Arbitration said that the central bank was to blame for the contractual dispute. Mr Pether and his Egyptian co-worker Khaled Radwan were arrested in 2021 when they travelled to Iraq for what they thought was a routine business meeting. Employed as an engineer in Dubai for CME, Mr Pether was contracted to work on the central bank's headquarters on the banks of the Tigris River. The men were detained at the meeting and have remained in custody since, having each received a five-year jail sentence and been ordered to pay $12 million by the Iraqi court. The dispute was over a $33 million contract awarded to CME in 2015. The project was put on hold a year later, with plummeting oil prices and Iraq's war with the extremist group ISIS put forward as the main reasons. Work resumed in 2018, with CME working for 39 of the 48 months as set out in the contract. Payment was received for 32 of those months before being withheld. CME was asked by the central bank to extend the contract by three months to make up for work that was suspended due to the onset of the pandemic.
Shafaq News
08-04-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Australia demands release of jailed citizen in Iraq
Shafaq News/ Australia has renewed its call for the release of citizen Robert Pether, warning that a second conviction in Iraq could endanger his life and further devastate his family, The National reported on Tuesday. Pether, an Australian engineer formerly based in Dubai, has completed a four-year sentence stemming from a contractual dispute involving his employer and Iraqi authorities. He is now reportedly facing new money laundering charges that could extend his imprisonment by 15 years. His wife, Desree Pether, told The National that he is in severe physical and mental condition and may not survive another conviction. She also described the family's financial hardship, noting they had to sell their car to meet basic expenses and support their children's education. Australian citizen Robert Pether has now been in prison in Iraq for four has served the custodial sentence imposed on him by the Iraqi courts. It's time for him to be returned to his family. The Australian Government will continue to advocate for Mr Pether's release. — Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) April 7, 2025 On Monday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Iraq to release Pether, emphasizing in a post on X that 'he has served the custodial sentence imposed on him by Iraqi courts. It's time for him to be returned to his family.' Pether and his Egyptian colleague, Khaled Radwan, were arrested in 2021 during a business trip linked to the construction of the Central Bank of Iraq's new headquarters. Both were sentenced and fined $12 million. The United Nations previously labeled their detention 'arbitrary and a violation of international law.' The original case stemmed from a $33 million contract awarded to CMA in 2015. In 2023, the International Chamber of Commerce's Arbitration Court held the Central Bank of Iraq liable for the contract's collapse.
