Irish wife of man jailed in Iraq for four years was ‘numb with shock' after release
'I got a little advance warning of his release and I was numb with shock as it was so unexpected.'
The Irish wife of Robert Pether who was released from an Iraqi jail last night has revealed how she was numb with shock when told the news
The couple live in Elphin county Roscommon and Robert was locked up four years ago after being caught up in a dispute between his employers and the Iraqi government but is now out on bail.
His wife Desree told the Sunday World, 'I got a little advance warning of his release and I was numb with shock as it was so unexpected.'
Robert Pether
News in 90 Seconds - 6th June 2025
'He called me from his lawyers phone late last night and only then did I really believe it.
It was a video call and he looked so ill he was barely recognizable.
'I hadn't seen him in weeks because he was too weak to take calls and we had been correspnding solely by email'
As part of his bail conditions Robert has to remain in Iraq and Desree's efforts to address that have been delayed.
'The Muslim festival of Eid has just begun and nothing gets done for a week so we just have to wait, but having waited four years to get this far we'll manage that
'He needs to get home for medical help so we'll battle on'.
Tanáiste Simon Harris pleaded Roberts case in a meeting with Iraqi officials last month and Desree said: 'To be fair the government here have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help'
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