Behind The Story: How Robert Pether got out of Iraq

Today Robert Pether, a construction engineer unlawfully held in Iraq for five years, finally laid eyes on his wife and three children in Ireland, having last seen them in 2021 before he travelled to a work assignment in Baghdad.

On this episode of podcast Behind The Story, Robert's lawyer, Peter Griffin unravels the complex and extraordinary five-year journey from a notorious Baghdad prison to finally setting foot back on Irish soil.

51-year-old Robert Pether was arrested in April 2021 alongside his CME Consulting colleague, Egyptian Khalid Radwan, amid a contract dispute between the consulting firm he worked for and the Central Bank of Iraq. Mr Pether is an Australian citizen who was living with his family in Roscommon.

The bank had accused the men of stealing money from the project – a charge that was disproved. Their case was also criticised by the UN, but still the men were sentenced and endured terrible conditions in a Baghdad prison.

Peter Griffin explained that this started out as a mundane commercial dispute that ended up in a "very macabre situation". Mr Griffin led a pro bono team at Slaney Advisors, a consultancy specialising in international arbitration to help Robert.

Robert Pether was released after four years due to his deteriorating health but was banned from leaving the country. "I’m not sure how long he could have survived if he was any longer in jail," Mr Griffin said. "By the time he was released in June 2024, his situation was dire." Robert Pether was left homeless and without resources in Baghdad.

Peter Griffin paid tribute to Robert Pether's family for their tireless efforts to keep their story alive.

"They have been the driving force behind this entire effort. Their relentless determination to leave no stone unturned in bringing their loved ones home, and their indefatigable resilience, has been nothing short of remarkable," said Mr Griffin.

Peter Griffin explained how he got involved in Robert’s case by chance when he heard of a call out for help from Clongowes Woods College’s School Union where both Robert’s son’s and Peter’s sons attended. They were trying to raise money for a human rights lawyer to help Robert Pether.

As it happened Peter Griffin is an international arbitration lawyer with experience of dealing with Iraq.

"I understood immediately the complexity of the issues that Robert faced, that they would be legal and largely political and that he would need help to navigate them," he said.

DIPLOMACY

Peter Griffin explained that several people joined the legal team to help with the efforts. He also spoke about the complex negotiations required to secure their release from prison. He said an intervention from the Irish government at the UN General Assembly over the summer was critical.

"We got signals in August that things were moving on the ground. That was shortly before the UN General Assembly meeting in New York," Peter said. He goes on to explain how Taoiseach Micheál Martin met his Iraqi counterpart on the sidelines of the UN Assembly and advocated for Robert Pether's release one more time. This intervention, along with the diplomatic efforts of the Egyptian and Australian government was critical.

Peter Griffin said he was overjoyed to get a message from Robert Pether as he was flying out of Iraqi airspace. "This is a day we dreamed about for many years." Peter said he had also been following the flight on international airspace trackers and sent him a screen grab at the same time.

We also hear how the story is still evolving. Robert Pether was obliged to sign a legal waiver before he was allowed to leave Iraq. "This morning at Dublin airport, Robert signed some papers revoking and rescinding the supposed waivers that he was made sign to get home," Mr Griffin said, adding that these papers are being delivered to the Iraqi authorities.

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