Robert Pether: Australian jailed in Iraq reaches 1,000-day milestone

New "World" post from BBC News: Robert Pether: Australian jailed in Iraq reaches 1,000-day milestone https://ift.tt/rSVJG46 https://ift.tt/QlNHpvc

An Australian man, locked away in the labyrinthine walls of an Iraqi prison, languishes under the weight of a torment that his heartbroken family insists can only be described as a malevolent act of hostage-taking. Today, as the unforgiving sands of time cascade through the hourglass, marking the passage of yet another day, his captivity crosses a grim milestone — 1,000 days of despair, isolation, and unanswered prayers.

In the year 2021, the bars of incarceration embraced Robert Pether due to his alleged involvement in fraudulent activities; however, the UN has bestowed upon this confinement the label of an arbitrary detention.

Mr. Pether's family claims that he has reached the lowest point in his life, resembling rock bottom, due to spending three consecutive Christmases incarcerated; furthermore, they express deep concern for his rapidly declining health.

In a dramatic twist of justice, the lawyer of this despair-ridden soul dares to implore the mighty Australian government—a plea echoing with urgency—to swiftly deploy their power and secure the liberation of the tormented father of three, shackled unjustly in this merciless ordeal.

In the depths of Desree Pether's mind, a gnawing fear takes root: her husband, a man whose physical form has diminished by a staggering one-third since his incarceration, teeters perilously on the brink of life's end in a prison cell; a dire reality that may shatter any hope of him beholding their beloved children - Flynn, a vibrant soul of 20; Oscar, a blossoming young man of 18; and Nala, an innocent being of tender age, just 11 summers old - ever again.

"There lies a dark abyss, devoid of illumination, with no glimmer of hope remotely discernible — countless precious moments, mercilessly snatched away from our grasp," she solemnly lamented to the BBC.

Nala kindly penned a letter to Santa this year, pleading for him to make a detour to the enchanting country of Iraq and graciously offer her dad a lift on his magical journey through the skies; alas, I had to explain to Nala that Santa, being the impartial bearer of gifts, simply cannot meddle in the intricate web of political affairs. In the midst of his engineering prowess, Mr. Pether embarked on an audacious quest to the heart of Iraq—a perilous journey to breathe life back into the crumbling edifice that housed the treasure trove of the nation's wealth, the Central Bank headquarters in the ancient city of Baghdad.

But behold! In the realm of professional battlegrounds, a tempestuous storm of contractual discord raged fiercely between the majestic bank and its counterpart, CME Consulting. Alas! This treacherous quarrel forged a harrowing fate for Mr. Pether and his esteemed comrade Khalid Radwan, as they were ensnared within the dismal depths of imprisonment. Ah, woe betide them! For the bank, with a thunderous cry, leveled damning accusations against these hapless souls, implicating them in the nefarious act of purloining funds from the very project they served.

'My husband stares into the abyss of a prison cell in Iraq'; enduring an agonizing period of incarceration without any formal charges for nearly half a year, he was then swiftly tried and ultimately handed a grave verdict of five years behind bars; to compound their misery, the couple was also burdened with a crushing collective penalty of $12m (A$17.5m, £9.4m).

Alas! Behold, in the year of our Lord 2022, a report of great significance emerged from the hallowed United Nations proclaiming that the very fabric of international law had been trampled upon in this egregious case. It was decreed that the noble souls of Mr. Pether and Mr. Khalid had endured nothing short of "abusive and coercive" interrogations, casting a dark shadow upon the realm of justice.

Iraq's government — steadfastly clinging to its innocence like a wilting flower desperately clinging to life — has vehemently refuted any accusations of ill treatment. However, now, like dark storm clouds ominously gathering on the horizon, the matter has been plunged into the piercing spotlight of the UN's Special Rapporteur on torture, leaving no choice but to peel back the layers of deceit and expose the truth.

And lo and behold, in a ruling that shook the very foundations of international commerce — the mighty gavel of the International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) Court of Arbitration delivered a resounding judgment, casting blame upon Iraq's central bank for the dispute with CME. The scales of justice tipped against them, demanding a hefty sum of $13 million, a toll to be paid to the aggrieved company.

The ICC finding, as conveyed by UK human rights lawyer Peter Griffin, shatters Iraq's argument of justifying Robert's imprisonment based on the company's alleged wrongdoings; this finding distinctly undermines it.

"That statement has been unequivocally invalidated, rendering it incapable of serving as a justifiable grounds for his confinement," he conveyed to the BBC.

Mr. Griffin posits that Iraq has apprehended Mr. Pether with the intention of leveraging his liberation as a means of amassing pecuniary advantages, prompting him to assert that the Australian government must enhance its performance in this situation.

Behold the astonishing measures undertaken by certain nations in their tireless pursuit of obtaining the freedom of their citizens amidst comparable circumstances; such is a testament to the unwavering commitment displayed. If only Robert hailed from the land of stars and stripes or the kingdom across the pond—the grand abodes of his origin—surely he would have graced the comforts of his humble abode untold moments ago! A representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia has consistently advocated for Mr. Pether's rights and well-being across all echelons. However, the Australian government is precluded from interfering in the legal procedures of a foreign jurisdiction.