Australian engineer Robert Pether departs Iraq after years in prison

Australian engineer Robert Pether has left Iraq after being arrested in April 2021, according to reports from The Guardian and ABC News Australia. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed the decision by the Iraqi government to allow the 51-year-old engineer to depart the country. ABC News Australia published a photo showing Pether on a plane sitting alongside Australian Ambassador Glenn Miles. [1][2]

Pether spent more than four years in a Baghdad jail cell before his release, as both outlets reported. He was detained in connection with a business dispute involving his firm, which was constructing a new headquarters for the Iraqi central bank. Pether was arrested alongside an Egyptian colleague and charged with deception, though he has always maintained his innocence. [1][2]

The Guardian reported that Pether's family described living in hell during his imprisonment and feared that the stint in jail would kill him. Friends and family referred to the fraud accusations against him as trumped-up charges, according to ABC News Australia. Pether was initially released from jail mid-last year before receiving final clearance to leave the country. [1][2]

Baghdad is the capital city and largest urban center in Iraq, with a population of over 8 million people. The Middle Eastern nation covers an area of more than 438,000 square kilometers and has a total population exceeding 46 million residents. [4]