Australian And Egyptian Engineers Leave Iraq After Five-Year Ordeal; Convictions Remain

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BAGHDAD (Worthy News) – Australian engineer Robert Pether and his Egyptian colleague Khaled Radwan have left Iraq after a five-year ordeal involving imprisonment and travel restrictions over disputed fraud convictions that United Nations experts condemned as arbitrary detention.

Pether, 51, was reunited with his family in Ireland on Monday, while Radwan also departed Iraq, the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported. Both had been imprisoned following a commercial dispute involving the reconstruction of the Central Bank of Iraq’s headquarters in Baghdad.

However, Pether said their convictions had not been overturned and that both men were required to sign waivers before being allowed to depart.

“Being allowed to leave is not justice,” Pether said at a news conference in Dublin on Monday, maintaining that both engineers had been innocent since their arrest on April 7, 2021.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed his departure, saying it followed years of diplomatic efforts involving Australia and Ireland.

FAMILY WELCOMES FREEDOM

“I spoke to Mr Pether shortly before his departure from Baghdad and am pleased he is now free to move forward with his life and be reunited with his family,” Wong said.

Pether’s wife, Desree, expressed relief after years of uncertainty over her husband’s fate and concerns about his deteriorating health.

“I’m hugely relieved,” she told British broadcaster BBC. “It’s been an absolute nightmare, especially these last few months. So many obstacles and plot twists right up to the last minute.”

The couple and their three children had been separated for more than five years, during which Pether suffered serious physical and psychological difficulties.

Pether said he had been close to death when he was released from prison in June 2025, only to discover that he remained barred from leaving Iraq.

EGYPTIAN ENGINEER FREED

He described being left without his passport or other identity documents, making it difficult to travel freely or obtain medical treatment outside the country.

Following his departure, Pether thanked his wife for campaigning for his freedom while raising their children through years of uncertainty.

Radwan, who lived in Dubai at the time of his arrest, had worked alongside Pether for engineering consultancy CME Consulting on the Iraqi central bank project.

The two traveled to Baghdad expecting a routine meeting with bank officials to resolve contractual disagreements but were detained instead.

Both were subsequently convicted of fraud and sentenced to five years in prison, with an Iraqi court imposing a $12 million financial penalty connected to the case.

IRAQ BANK DISPUTE

Their employer had been involved in a $33 million contract awarded in 2015 to support construction of the central bank’s new headquarters near the Tigris River.

The project encountered delays amid Iraq’s conflict with the Islamic State group, falling oil prices and later the coronavirus pandemic. Disagreements emerged over payments and the company’s contractual obligations.

Radwan and Pether denied wrongdoing, arguing that they were employees caught in a commercial dispute involving their employer.

Both served more than four years in prison before being released in 2025, but remained unable to leave Iraq because of travel restrictions and outstanding financial claims.

Radwan’s family had also raised concerns about his health and financial circumstances during his prolonged confinement.

UNITED NATIONS CONDEMNATION

The National confirmed Monday that the Egyptian engineer had finally departed Iraq, although his destination and whether he had reunited with his family were not immediately clear.

In 2022, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that the imprisonment of Pether and Radwan violated international law.

Investigators raised concerns about the circumstances of their arrest, access to legal representation and the fairness of their trial.

The UN report also detailed allegations of abusive interrogations, psychological mistreatment and coercion, including claims that Pether was threatened and held in harsh conditions.

Iraqi authorities have previously denied allegations of mistreatment.

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION RULING

In 2023, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Court of Arbitration ruled against Iraq’s central bank in the underlying commercial dispute and ordered compensation to CME Consulting.

The arbitration decision raised further questions about the criminal proceedings against the two engineers.

Pether’s departure followed years of negotiations involving officials from Australia, Ireland, Egypt and Iraq, alongside legal advisers who had campaigned for his release.

Australian authorities made more than 280 representations to Iraqi officials as part of their efforts to secure Pether’s freedom, underscoring the scale of the diplomatic campaign.

An Iraqi court dismissed proceedings against Pether last week, citing insufficient evidence, and lifted the travel restrictions preventing his departure.

FREEDOM WITHOUT EXONERATION

Yet Pether stressed Monday that the decision had not erased his original conviction or the suffering endured by both men.

He said he signed a waiver because remaining in Iraq was no longer an acceptable option after years of imprisonment, deteriorating health and separation from his family.

The case has also drawn attention to the treatment of foreign professionals caught in commercial disputes and the limits of diplomatic protection when business disagreements lead to criminal prosecutions in Iraq.