Robert Pether

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed that 51-year-old Australian engineer Robert Pether has left Iraq and is returning home, five years after his arrest. Pether was detained in Baghdad in 2021 on fraud charges and spent four years in prison, in a case that drew sustained criticism from his family and human rights advocates over claims of wrongful detention.

Robert Pether, an Australian engineer arrested in Iraq in 2021, has been released after serving more than four years in detention over what his family says were wrongful charges. His wife said she was relieved the 'nightmare' was finally over, and the case has drawn ongoing attention in Australia over concerns about due process and the treatment of Australians detained abroad.

Australian engineer Robert Pether has left Iraq, bringing an end to a five-year ordeal in the country. Pether had been detained in Iraq since 2021 over a dispute connected to a contract involving the country's central bank headquarters project, a case that drew sustained attention from Australian officials and human rights advocates. His departure marks the resolution of a case that strained ties and prompted repeated calls for his release.

Australian engineer Robert Pether has been released from prison in Iraq, according to reports. Pether had been detained in Baghdad since 2021 following a dispute tied to a construction project, and his case had drawn sustained attention from Australian officials and human rights advocates calling for his release.