A father-of-four has written an emotional letter from his cell in Iraq, where he has been detained for three years in appalling conditions.
Australian engineer Robert Pether was sentenced to five years in prison and a $16 million fine in April 2021 after trying to get the Iraqi government to pay him for work he had done in the country.
Pether was arrested on fraud charges, allegations he has strenuously denied.
After spending three years in a Baghdad prison, there are serious concerns for Pether’s physical and mental well-being.
Last week, his wife Desree Pether made a direct appeal to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong. that “there is more to do.”
In an emotional letter, Pether revealed he feels “abandoned” by the Australian government and worries he will never return home.
Australian engineer Robert Pether (pictured) was sentenced to five years in prison and a $16 million fine in April 2021 after trying to get paid by the Iraqi government for work he had done in the country.
In an emotional letter (pictured), Pether revealed he feels “abandoned” by the Australian government and worries he will never return home.
“I have been pleading for three years with Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong to do everything possible to help me and bring me home,” he wrote.
‘Until now, I just feel abandoned. I’m sick and I’m worried I won’t be able to survive this terrible experience much longer.
“I want to go back to Australia and listen to the birds, swim on the beach, sit and watch the harbor while the ferries come and go and feel the sun on my skin.”
Pether and an Egyptian colleague, Khalid Radwan, were arrested after being lured to an office with the promise of resolving a dispute over work they had done at the Central Bank of Iraq, valued at $1 billion.
In a trial that lasted just 15 minutes, the couple were found guilty of deception.
“I was forced to sign an incriminating confession pre-written in Arabic, a language I neither read nor understand, after being locked in a closet, dehydrated and starving,” he said.
“I didn’t have a chance to defend myself.”
Pether, who has always maintained his innocence, now has access to an Arabic-speaking lawyer who is “doing everything he can” to help.
His wife said she has had to “convince him many times” since he was first put behind bars.
“Our children need their father and I need him; even if he is a phone call away, he is still there for them,” she told the newspaper. ABC News.
“I think that’s where he gets his strength from.”
His wife said she has had to “convince him so many times” since he was first put behind bars.
Pether (pictured) and an Egyptian colleague, Khalid Radwan, were arrested after being lured to an office with the promise of resolving a dispute over the billion-dollar work they had done at Iraq’s Central Bank.
His treatment has drawn condemnation from the UN, which has noted 30 violations of international law in the case and classified Pether as a “hostage.”
Pether shared more of his own tense state in an emotional Facebook post on Tuesday, revealing that the family is struggling to cope.
‘I miss him. All the time,” she wrote.
‘He should no longer be illegally imprisoned in Iraq. He should NEVER have been caught, arrested and jailed in the first place! The treatment of two innocent men is absolutely atrocious!’
Pether said he has “missed a lot of milestones” while in lockdown, and is pleading with his own government “to do everything possible.”
‘Our two youngest sons have finished school and are now young men. “Our daughter was 8 when I was arrested and she’s 11 now,” she said.
‘I have missed three Christmases and four Easters, several birthdays, three wedding anniversaries and much more. I want to go home.’
WhatsNew2Day Australia has contacted the Prime Minister and the Department of Home Affairs for comment.