Robert Pether leaves Iraq and reunites with family in Ireland

Australian engineer Robert Pether has left Iraq and arrived in Ireland, reuniting with his family after Iraqi authorities lifted travel restrictions that had kept him in the country following his release from prison. The move ended more than a year of restrictions after his release and more than five years apart from his family, according to officials and accounts from Pether and his lawyer. Pether, 51, flew from Baghdad on Sunday night and arrived at Dublin Airport on Monday morning, October 12. His family welcomed him there. He had been released from prison in June 2025 but remained unable to leave Iraq under travel bans, officials said. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Iraqi authorities had allowed Pether to depart after sustained diplomatic efforts by Australia and Ireland. Wong said she spoke with him shortly before he left Baghdad. Ireland’s foreign minister, Helen McEntee, also welcomed the decision and said Pether would be reunited with his wife and children. Pether was detained in Baghdad in April 2021 alongside Egyptian colleague Khaled Radwan amid a contract dispute involving their employer and the Central Bank of Iraq.