Australian Engineer Robert Pether Leaves Iraq After Years of Detention and Travel Bans

A Dubai resident detained for five years over a contract dispute has finally left Iraq to reunite with his family. Australian engineer Robert Pether, 50, was released from prison in Baghdad in June last year, but remained in the country due to a travel ban linked to financial claims.

Mr Pether's wife, Desree, confirmed on Monday morning that her husband was due to arrive in Ireland, where the family lives, around 9.25am local time.

"The Australian Government welcomes the Iraqi Government's decision to allow Mr Robert Pether to leave Iraq today," said Penny Wong, Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs. "I spoke to Mr Pether shortly before his departure from Baghdad and am pleased he is now free to move forward with his life and be reunited with his family."

Mr Pether had been imprisoned in Iraq for more than four years and was later subjected to travel restrictions preventing his departure. Ms Wong thanked Australian officials and Irish authorities for their close cooperation and support.

Mr Pether and his Egyptian co-worker Khaled Radwan, who both lived in Dubai at the time, were jailed in August 2021 and fined $12 million following a contract dispute between Mr Pether's employer and authorities in Baghdad. Mr Radwan has also now left Iraq.

In 2025, the Office of the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs pushed for his release, following earlier calls from Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Following their prison release, both men had to cover their own living expenses while staying with friends or in hotels.

Earlier this year, UN experts expressed grave concern over Mr Pether's declining health, highlighting a lack of access to specialist medical care and the psychological toll of prolonged detention.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention previously issued a report in 2022 describing the imprisonment as arbitrary and contrary to international law. A 2023 ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce's International Court of Arbitration determined that the central bank in Iraq was responsible for the dispute.

Mr Pether and Mr Radwan were initially arrested during what they believed was a routine business meeting after traveling to Iraq. Employed as an engineer by CME in Dubai, Mr Pether was contracted to work on the central bank's headquarters near the Tigris. The $33 million contract was awarded to CME in 2015, but faced suspensions due to plummeting oil prices, the war against ISIS, and the coronavirus pandemic before payments were withheld.