Robert Pether, an Australian engineer, has left Iraq after spending four years detained in a Baghdad jail. The Iraqi government approved his departure, according to Australia's foreign minister.
Pether was arrested without charge in April 2021. His detention arose from a business dispute involving his firm, which was constructing a new headquarters building for Iraq's central bank. The source does not specify the exact nature of the contractual disagreement or which party initiated the dispute.
His family described the period of his imprisonment as "living in hell." They expressed concern that the prolonged detention posed a serious health risk to Pether. No details are provided about his condition upon release or any formal charges that may have been filed against him during his confinement.
The Australian foreign minister welcomed the Iraqi government's decision to allow Pether to leave. The source does not elaborate on diplomatic negotiations that preceded the release or whether any agreement or settlement was reached between the Australian and Iraqi governments to secure his departure.
The source provides no information about Pether's current whereabouts, the timeline of his departure from Baghdad, or any statement from Pether himself regarding his years in custody.