Yasser Eljuboori, an Irish national and crusader against corruption, has finally made it home to Dublin from an Iraqi detention facility where he was held for over a week. The 37-year-old Dublin resident, Mr. Eljuboori, touched down at Dublin Airport on Wednesday morning and was reconnected with his loved ones.
Mr. Eljuboori was arrested at Baghdad Airport on February 26th, and subsequently accused of slandering the prime minister as per the Iraqi legal system. He was put in custody until the 29th of February and was released on bail sanctioned by a Baghdad court. They held onto his personal effects and passport, and assured him that all the charges against him had been absolved and that the delay in passport return was strictly procedural. After handling administrative chores for a couple of days, he was allowed to fly back home.
However, on the following Sunday, he was told at the court during a passport retrieval effort that he was facing two new charges. The court held back his passport and denied him the freedom to leave Iraq. When Mr. Eljuboori reappeared in court on Monday, the passport remained withheld, and the new charges were still effective.
The day before his return, Mr. Eljuboori managed to get back his passport and personal belongings, made possible by significant efforts to facilitate his safe homecoming to Dublin. He has since landed in Dublin and is currently recuperating with his family after the traumatic incident.
Following the disarray brought about by the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Mr. Eljuboori moved to Ireland in 2007, where he met Laura Wickham, his future spouse, in 2011. They tied the knot in 2015. Mr. Eljuboori gained Irish citizenship in March 2022 and is employed at LinkedIn. He and his wife live with their three children, aged two to five, in Balgriffin, Dublin.
Ms. Wickham described the past ten days as an absolute terror, mainly for Yasser.
She expressed gratitude to the Tánaiste Micheál Martin and to the officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, specifically the Irish Embassy in Jordan and the staff at the European Union Delegation to Iraq, for their tireless work. Her appreciation extended profoundly to Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, a lawyer based in London, who served as an unwavering source of support in the face of desperation, answering a late-night call at 1am on Tuesday. This included her meaningful role in navigating the situation.
She declared immense pride in being Irish because of the steadfast interventions she witnessed, recognizing Gallagher as one of the country’s distinctly gifted individuals. She also highlighted that she had received an overwhelming wave of support from all aspects of her life, with old acquaintances and friends reaching out to offer their well wishes and assistance. This wide-ranging support deeply touched her and left her with an indelible impression.
More poignantly, she expressed jubilation over Yasser’s return home, signifying the end of a gruelling ordeal. She vowed never to overlook the typical, day-to-day activities, such as family walks, TV evenings, and time spent playing with their children. She recognised the significance of the children getting their father back and how it would rejuvenate their household. She concluded with a heartfelt welcome to Yasser at home.
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