Engineer Released After Years in Iraqi Custody | Cork News

Cork News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 30, 2026 · 1m

An Australian engineer, Robert Pether, was freed from an Iraqi jail after months of detention linked to a payment dispute at the Iraqi Central Bank—his health shattered, nearly starved, with melanoma and no ID to seek care. Despite a 2023 ICC ruling in his favor, his release came too late, leaving him trapped in Baghdad under a travel ban, unable to reunite with his children—a loss he says cuts deeper than his physical suffering. The Irish government supports him, but his lack of citizenship limits EU aid. A UN report in 2022 called the ordeal a violation of international law. Listen in…