Irish Dad Freed from Four-Year Iraq Detainment

A man from Roscommon has been released by authorities in Iraq – after being locked up for more than four years, it has emerged.

Release from Detainment
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris tonight revealed that Robert Pether – who is an Australian citizen but had been living in Elphin with his Irish family – was released on bail earlier today.

Long Legal Battle
Mr Harris, who has been working to secure the engineer's release for several months, said his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein contacted him to tell him of the development. Construction engineer Mr Pether, 49, who is married to Desree Pether, 53, from Roscommon, has been locked up since April 2021.

Contract Dispute
The father-of-three was jailed over four years ago in a €20 million contract row between his Dubai-based employer and the Central Bank of Iraq. His distraught family in Ireland revealed Mr Pether, who previously had melanoma skin cancer, has a prostate that is 'three times (the) normal size' as well as gallstones.

International Scrutiny
The United Nations has slammed his jailing as 'arbitrary detention'. He was due to be released last January but Iraq issued new charges against them and he was facing a further 15 years in custody – until Mr Harris intervened earlier this year. He was a free man last night - although he must remain in Iraq for the meantime. But the Tánaiste welcomed the decision to free him. He said: '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.'