Robert Pether, an Australian engineer, has left Iraq after spending four years detained in a Baghdad jail cell. The Iraqi government permitted his departure following his arrest in April 2021, according to reporting by The Guardian.
Pether was arrested without formal charges in connection with a business dispute. His employer was building a new headquarters for Iraq's central bank when the dispute with the Iraqi government arose, The Guardian reports.
Australia's foreign minister welcomed the Iraqi government's decision to allow Pether to leave. Pether's family said they had been "living in hell" during his detention, fearing the conditions of his imprisonment posed a threat to his health and survival.
The case highlights the vulnerability of foreign nationals caught in business disputes with governments that lack transparent legal systems. Pether spent more than four years in custody without being formally charged, a period his family characterised as emotionally and physically devastating. His release represents a diplomatic resolution after years of what his family described as severe hardship.