Detained Australian engineer Robert Pether has left Iraq after being jailed in 2021

Australian engineer Robert Pether has been allowed to leave Iraq after a four-year stint in a Baghdad jail cell that his family feared would kill him.

Pether’s family say they have been “living in hell” since he was arrested without charge in April 2021 in connection to a business dispute between his firm – which was building a new headquarters for the central bank – and the Iraqi government.

He was imprisoned for more than four years but then released mid-last year due to his deteriorating health. He was banned from leaving the country.

The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, confirmed on Monday that Pether had now been allowed to leave the country. It was understood he was in transit.

“The Australian government welcomes the Iraqi government’s decision to allow Mr Robert Pether to leave Iraq today,” Wong said.

“I spoke to Mr Pether shortly before his departure from Baghdad and am pleased he is now free to move forward with his life and be reunited with his family.”

“Today’s outcome follows many years of persistent advocacy by the Australian government, including at the highest levels of government, and sustained consular assistance to Mr Pether and his family.”