A flight leaving Baghdad that was carrying Irish citizen Yasser Eljuboori went wheels up at lunchtime on Tuesday.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin was asked about the case of the Irish citizen who had been detained in Iraq at an unrelated press conference at Government Buildings a short time later.
He declined to offer an update saying it was a “work in progress” adding: “I’ll leave it at that for the time being if you don’t mind.”
Such is the caution when it comes to cases of Irish citizens detained abroad that Mr Eljuboori’s return was not confirmed until after he was safely back in Dublin and reunited with his wife Laura Wickham and three young children on Wednesday morning.
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Ms Wickham described the last 10 days as a “living nightmare for me, but most importantly for Yasser”.
She thanked Mr Martin, foreign affairs officials and Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, the well-known human rights barrister, for their efforts to secure her husbands return.
The successful outcome came after a flurry of diplomatic activity since anti-corruption activist Mr Eljuboori was first detained by Iraqi authorities on February 26th.
He was charged under Article 226 the Iraqi penal code which criminalises “any person who publicly insults” public authorities or officials amid a claim that he had defamed prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
With no Irish embassy in Baghdad his family contacted the mission in Amman – where Marianne Bolger serves as Irish ambassador to Jordan and Iraq – seeking consular assistance.
A dedicated case worker was appointed at Department of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Iveagh House.
Contact was made with the new Iraqi embassy in Dublin and the Irish embassy in Amman sent what’s known in diplomatic terms as a “note verbale” to the Iraqi authorities raising Mr Eljuboori’s case.
Separately, Ms Gallagher KC, came on board to represent the family.
A call was set up between Mr Martin and the Iraqi foreign minister Dr Fuad Hussein, who is also deputy prime minister, on Thursday 29th.
Mr Martin later said: “Dr Hussein subsequently advised me that he had raised the case at the highest level and was confident that Mr Eljuboori would be released following the waiving of charges against him.”
Mr Eljuboori was released on bail by a Baghdad court but his passport was not returned and he was told it would take two to three days of paperwork before he could leave Iraq.
Ms Gallagher welcomed his release at this stage after what she described as “an agonising four days of unjust and arbitrary detention”.
But she warned: “Regrettably we know from other cases that this is a danger point for Yasser, as there are continuing risks to him whilst he remains in Iraq.”
Then came, what Mr Martin has since described as “hiccups” when it emerged on Sunday that the mayor of Baghdad and the head of Iraq’s investment authority had also made claims of defamation against Mr Eljuboori, throwing his return to Ireland into doubt.
The news resulted in another note verbale being issued to the Iraqis and Mr Martin got back on the phone to Mr Hussein.
On Monday the Irish side got a commitment that the charges against Mr Eljuboori would be withdrawn and his passport was returned.
Mr Martin announced Mr Eljuboori’s return on Wednesday morning during an interview on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show.
He thanked Mr Hussein for his intervention as well as Ms Bolger, consular officials, and Mr Eljuboori’s legal team.
Mr Martin said it could have been “a very serious situation” if Mr Elijuboori had gone through the court process “because we know from other cases that it’s extremely difficult once people are convicted to get people out of situations like that”.
Mr Eljuboori, who works for LinkedIn came to Ireland in 2007 following the chaos caused by the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
He became an Irish citizen in March 2022 and he and his family live in Balgriffin, Dublin.
Ms Wickham said on Wednesday “I am so happy he’s home with me and that this nightmare is over ... The kids are getting their dad back, and our house will have its life and soul again.”
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