Australia – SBS, December 25, 2024
Robert Pether faces his fourth Christmas in an Iraqi jail, held in what his family calls a “hostage” situation. He’s not the only Australian spending another Christmas away from home.
Nala was eight when her father, Robert Pether, was detained in Iraq.
Now, she’s 12 and worried her one Christmas wish won’t come true — to see her father again.
This year will mark the fourth Christmas the father of four has been separated from his family.
Pether and his Egyptian colleague Khaled Zaghloul were sentenced to five years in jail in Iraq in 2021 and fined US$12 million ($19 million) on fraud charges.
The charges stemmed from allegations that the company they worked for defrauded the Iraqi government during a project to build the new headquarters of the country’s central bank.
Pether and his family have vehemently denied the charges. Instead, they say he’s being held “hostage”.
Pether’s wife, Desree, told SBS News Christmas isn’t the same with her husband locked up.
“Nala is 12 now and doesn’t believe in Santa any more because she’s written so many letters asking Santa to drop by over the last three Christmases and to pick up daddy on the way home,” she said.
“That was her only Christmas wish.
“She stopped believing, which is really sad.”
