Pictured: Mr Pether
An Australian engineer detained in Iraq has spent just two hours outside of solitary confinement in 19 days – as his distraught wife claims he’s been cut off from any contact with the ‘outside world’.
Robert Pether, from Sydney’s north shore, was arrested on April 7 when he arrived at a scheduled meeting with his client, the Central Bank of Iraq, in Baghdad.
Mr Pether’s wife, Desree, has no idea why he was arrested or what he is being held on.
The Department of Foreign Affairs told Daily Mail Australia they are providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Iraq.
But Ms Pether claims her pleas for help went unanswered and that she’s been unable to find out any information about her husband’s condition.
‘As far as I know, he’s still wearing his suit from that meeting on the 7th,’ she said.
Ms Pether was told last week she would be permitted to speak with her husband for just two minutes after learning through his Dubai-based employer that he and a colleague had been arrested.
Robert Pether, from Sydney’s north shore, was arrested on April 7 for questioning after arriving at a scheduled meeting with his client. Pictured with his two sons
‘That still hasn’t happened,’ she said on Tuesday. ‘He saw his lawyer for two hours and nobody else in 19 days now.
‘There has been no contact with the outside world.’
Ms Pether separately claimed her husband is ‘so straight up the line’ that he ‘wouldn’t even take a bottle of wine off someone he works with’ and has no idea why he has been detained.
Irish Senator Eugene Murphy said it was likely Mr Pether had ‘unfortunately been caught in the middle… [of] some sort of contractual dispute’ when he addressed the matter in parliament this week.
Ms Pether initially assumed it was a big mistake when she first learned of the arrests.
The father-of-three has been working on rebuilding projects across war-torn parts of the Middle East for the past 10 years and regularly travels between Iraq, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Bahrain as part of his job.
His wife and three children, aged 17, 15 and eight, are based in Ireland and often travel to be with Mr Pether at his job sites.
Mr Pether’s wife, Desree, has no idea why he was arrested or what he is being held on. The Department of Foreign Affairs told Daily Mail Australia they are providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Iraq. Pictured with his two sons
But three weeks ago, while working on site in Dubai, Mr Pether and his manager were contacted by the Central Bank of Iraq, which demanded they return immediately for a meeting to resolve a dispute about a new building project in Baghdad.
‘There was never actually a meeting scheduled with any officials or any resolution,’ Ms Pether told Daily Mail Australia.
‘When they arrived, they were immediately taken into custody.’
Ms Pether has sought answers from the Australian embassy, but claims she has been told she is not authorised to liaise on his behalf.
‘They have no idea how to help him,’ she said.
‘They just keep repeating that they can’t discuss the case with me without consent from my husband. There is no support for me at all.’
Daily Mail Australia understands consular staff are not able to communicate with family and friends unless they are a nominated contact. But Ms Pether claims given she is the one who reported his arrest, and that her husband has been so hard to contact, she should be informed of any updates.
Ms Pether couldn’t bring herself to tell their eight-year-old daughter (pictured together) right away
Consular assistance often includes visits to prisons to monitor welfare, liaising with local authorities regarding the prisoner’s wellbeing and communicating with nominated contacts.
They are not able to provide any official legal advice, intervene in cases or get an Australian out of prison.
In spite of the lack of communication, Ms Pether is still holding out hope that she will be granted her two minute call with her husband and be reunited with him soon.
She said both she and her two eldest children knew something was amiss as soon as he failed to call them after the scheduled meeting.
During his 10 years of travelling in the region for work, Mr Pether had a pattern of calling his wife and children several times a day, and would have been expected to make a call after such an important conference.
After several days without contact, Ms Pether was finally able to talk with her husband’s employer, who informed her that Mr Pether and his associate had both been detained.
After 10 years of travelling for work, the family have a system which works for their family. Mr Pether normally calls his wife (pictured together on their wedding day) and children several times a day while working overseas
Ms Pether claimed her husband is ‘so straight up the line’ that he ‘wouldn’t even take a bottle of wine off someone he works with’ and has no idea why he has been detained
The company assured Ms Pether it had hired a well-respected Iraqi lawyer to take the case, and initially that gave her some reassurance.
‘We’ve been relying on due process 100 per cent… believing they would be released immediately with an apology, but that is looking less promising,’ Ms Pether said.
Their eldest son is in the midst of completing his final school exams in Ireland and now has the added stress of worrying about his father.
But Ms Pether couldn’t bring herself to tell their eight-year-old daughter right away.
‘I waited a few days,’ Ms Pether said.
‘I just kept telling her the phones were down in Iraq… she kept asking why daddy hadn’t called.’
Ms Pether said he’s been communicating with locals about the need for more banks and discussing future projects, including a hospital. Pictured: Mr Pether with his daughter on an international trip in 2013
After four days, she realised she had to tell her.
‘She knew something was wrong because we normally speak to him several times a day.
‘I was hiding in rooms crying on the phone constantly.’
The 47-year-old secured an engineering job in Dubai in 2011, and has helped to rebuild areas of the Middle East decimated by war.
His most recent project with the Central Bank of Iraq has been going for four years, and Ms Pether claims he’d been ‘so excited and committed to rebuilding the country’.
Several of his past public social media posts show his support for the nation and its people
Several of his past public social media posts show his support for the nation and its people.
Ms Pether said he had been communicating with locals about the need for more banks and discussing future projects, including a hospital.
Prior to his arrest and the conflict between his employer and the Central Bank of Iraq, Mr Pether had been ‘commended by the client (Central Bank of Iraq) on how well the project had been running’ while he was head engineer.
‘He has never ever felt unsafe working in the Middle East in 10 years. Not even in Iraq,’ Ms Pether said.
‘The country is focusing on rebuilding and eagerly inviting specialised labour, contractors and investors… all while claiming that Iraq is a safe place to work.’
