Dublin, April 23, 2025 — Mounting health issues have reignited urgent calls for the release of Australian-Irish construction engineer Robert Pether, who remains imprisoned in Iraq over a protracted contractual dispute despite completing his original sentence in January.
Pether, 49, who has been detained since April 2021, was recently hospitalised three times within a single week. Medical evaluations revealed that he is suffering from a severely enlarged prostate—three times the normal size—and gallstones. These conditions, compounded by a history of melanoma and ongoing lung pain, have sparked grave concern among his family and human rights advocates.
His wife, Desree Pether, 53, originally from Roscommon, Ireland, issued an urgent appeal to the Iraqi Embassy in Dublin, calling for her husband’s immediate release on humanitarian grounds. “Robert is in constant pain and can barely walk. The risk to his health is very serious,” she said. “Gallstones can be life-threatening if they obstruct a duct and delay treatment. Surgery, too, poses significant risks due to his fragile condition.”
Robert Pether’s case stems from a €20 million contractual dispute between his Dubai-based employer and the Central Bank of Iraq. He was convicted of fraud in 2021—a verdict widely condemned by legal experts and human rights organizations. His family and supporters have repeatedly characterized his detention as arbitrary, citing a 2022 United Nations report and three international rulings affirming his and his employer’s innocence.
Despite having completed his four-year sentence on January 8, 2025, Pether has not been released. Instead, Iraqi authorities have levelled new allegations against him, including charges of money laundering, which he denies. Legal avenues for appeal have been repeatedly blocked, prompting further condemnation from international observers.
High-profile Irish political figures, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, Dáil TD Claire Kerrane, and former senator Eugene Murphy, have all expressed support for Pether and called for diplomatic intervention to secure his release. His application for Irish citizenship remains pending.
Further international pressure came last week when the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) reiterated its support for Pether’s release. “We stand with our Australian partners in calling for the release of Robert Pether, following the end of his custodial sentence. We hope to see him reunited with his family as soon as possible,” a SPEHA spokesperson said.
Robert Pether’s family continues to campaign for his freedom, emphasizing the urgent need for medical treatment and adherence to international legal norms. “Robert is not a criminal,” Desree stated. “He is a victim of a geopolitical dispute and is now paying for it with his health.”
The case remains a flashpoint in discussions around corporate accountability, legal transparency in Iraq, and the treatment of foreign nationals caught in state-level contractual conflicts.
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