Iraq frees Egyptian and Australian engineers over central bank contract issue
Baghdad – Iraq has released an Australian mechanical engineer and his Egyptian colleague who were detained for more than four years over a dispute with the central bank, authorities said Friday, though the two remain barred from leaving the country.
Robert Pether and Khalid Radwan were working for an engineering company contracted to oversee the construction of the bank's new Baghdad headquarters, according to a United Nations report, when they were arrested in April 2021.
A report from a working group for the UN Human Rights Council said the arrests stemmed from a contractual dispute over 'alleged failure to execute certain payments'.
Both men were sentenced to five years in prison and fined $12 million, the working group said.
A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Pether, in his fifties, was released 'due to his poor health'.
Australian media have previously reported that the family suspected Pether had developed lung cancer in prison and that he had undergone surgery for skin cancer.
A second Iraqi official confirmed the release of Radwan, adding that he was not allowed to leave the country until a 'final decision' was made regarding his case.
Australia's ABC broadcaster quoted the country's foreign minister, Penny Wong, as welcoming the release and saying the Australian government had raised the issue with Iraqi authorities more than 200 times.
Simon Harris, foreign minister for Ireland, where Pether's family lives, posted on X: '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.
'This is very welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert's wife, three children and his wider family and friends.'
Speaking to Irish national broadcaster RTE, Pether's wife, Desree Pether, said her husband was 'not well at all' and 'really needs to just come home so he can get the proper medical care he needs'.
'He's completely unrecognisable. It's a shock to the system to see how far he has declined,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Yemen to alert UN of states preparing to aid Israel
Shafaq News/ Yemen's Supreme Political Council President Mahdi al-Mashat announced plans to notify the United Nations of observed preparations by some countries to assist Israel in its military campaign against Iran. In remarks to Yemen News Agency (SABA) on Saturday, al-Mashat stressed that his country's decision is rooted in humanitarian, religious, and legal principles, calling on Arab and Islamic nations to 'take a unified stand instead of waiting to be targeted one by one.' 'The flames of war will eventually reach every corner of the region if we don't act together to stop the campaign of domination led by arrogant powers.' Reiterating Yemen's position on US involvement, al-Mashat confirmed that Washington would gain nothing by joining Israel's assault except what he described as a deeper entanglement in the conflict. 'Everyone will see that clearly,' he said. He further warned that any actor complicit in the Israeli attack must bear the consequences, revealing plans to direct the Foreign Ministry to notify the United Nations of observed preparations by some member states to assist in the aggression against Iran. 'Yemen will confront any such involvement through all legitimate means.' Earlier Saturday, Yemen's Ansarallah (Houthis) threatened to strike US naval vessels in the Red Sea if Washington supports Tel Aviv, accusing both the US and Israel of pursuing regional domination under coordinated efforts. The warning comes as Israel's Operation Rising Lion continues to target Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing senior IRGC commanders and nuclear scientists, while Iran's response—True Promise 3—has so far unleashed 18 waves of missile and drone attacks across Israeli territory.
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Mystery object injures five children in Iraq
Shafaq News/ Five children were injured Saturday when a strange object crashed in Saladin province, the Iraqi Interior Ministry reported, as missile and drone debris linked to the Iran-Israel war continues to fall across the country. Surveillance footage showed the children were hit by shrapnel and flying gravel while playing outside their homes in the Dujail district. They were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and discharged after receiving treatment. Security commanders rushed to the scene to investigate, but the nature and source of the object remain unknown.
Rudaw Net
2 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
Nine Iraqi top court members resign
Also in Iraq Unidentified flying object injures 5 children in Iraq's Salahaddin province Iraq monitoring social media amid regional tensions Electoral commission not affected by Supreme Court resignations Basra airport bustling with travelers amid regional flight ban A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Nine members of Iraq's Federal Supreme Court submitted their resignations on Thursday in protest against the court's chief justice, casting a planned session on the Kurdistan Region's civil servant salaries into uncertainty. Six main and three reserve members of the court resigned over disputes with Chief Justice Jassim al-Umairi, according to Rudaw's reporter on the ground. The court is made up of a total nine main members and four reserves. 'The behavior of the court president is unacceptable to us, and we are tired of dealing with his working manners,' a court member who resigned told Rudaw. One of the members is a Kurd from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). This comes ahead of a planned session - which was set for Thursday - at the request of public servants in the Kurdistan Region, seeking an injunction to compel the federal government to resume salary payments. However, the resignations have cast the session into uncertainty. Soran Omar, an Iraqi parliament lawmaker from the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), questioned the reason behind their resignation. 'The judges' excuse is having problems with the court president, but the real reason is still unclear,' he told Rudaw. Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad intensified in late May when the federal finance ministry halted all budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including the salaries of more than 1.2 million public sector employees. The ministry stated that the decision was due to the Region exceeding its 12.67 percent share of the 2025 federal budget. The move has drawn widespread condemnation from Kurdish parties, who argue the suspension is politically driven and unconstitutional. Halkawt Aziz contributed to this report.
