Family and friends have warmly embraced the return of Iraqi-born former Sydney train driver Naim Aziz Abbas, after he spent 18 months in a UAE jail. 

The 65-year-old was ebullient following his first night on Australian soil after being pardoned from his five-year sentence on charges of espionage. 

“It is the happiest day of my life,” Mr Abbas told SBS News, after a night of celebrations. 

He was greeted by his supporters at Sydney Airport on Friday night where he also expressed his joy by bursting into song, singing Australia’s national anthem ‘Advance Australia Fair’.

The UAE government accuses Mr Abbas of passing secrets to Qatar while he was employed by the gulf state’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). 

‘Nothing to do with espionage’

But Mr Abbas rejects any suggestion that he was charged with espionage, saying he was simply doing his job as transport specialist on the two occasions which led to his arrest in October 2017. 

“The final court charge was passing information from the RTA to other departments. That’s all. Nothing to do with espionage.

“It’s only passing information without authority from the RTA. But I don’t need authority because it was my lecture. I am an expert, I am a speaker in conferences.”

In 2012, he said he was invited Qatar’s department overseeing the country’s traffic police to give a presentation.

“All I did was lecture for about 20 minutes on how to develop the examiners who examine the drivers for getting their driving licence,” he told SBS News.

“It was a 20-minute lecture from me, nothing to do with the RTA, even though the RTA has on its website broadcasting all the information for safety that people needs. And this happened in 2012.”

‘Seeing a political response’

Five years later in 2017, he said he was asked by his supervisor to support a visitor from Qatar during his tour of the RTA.

“They asked me to support him and to see if he needed any information about safety of drivers because he was also responsible for the examiners, the people who examine the drivers. And if they pass the test they get the driver’s licence.” 

The former Sydney train driver received a pardon during the holy month of Ramadan after months of lobbying from Mr Abbas’ supporters and the Australian government. 

International relations lecturer at UNSW, Dr Anthony Billingsley said giving royal pardons during the month of Ramadan is a regular occurrence.

“The issue is that this was very much a political action. He was arrested for political reasons and I’m pretty sure — [but] we have no way of knowing for certain — he didn’t have anything to do with espionage as such. But he was arrested at the height of UAE-Qatari tensions. And this was a political response.

“So now we’re seeing a political response, if you like, in his being released.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed to SBS News that it “provided consular assistance to an Australian man in the United Arab Emirates who has since returned to Australia”.

‘Each day felt like months’

Vice-president of the Kurdish Lobby Australia, Zirian Fatah, said he dedicated months to securing the release of Mr Abbas’ because of the relationship he had established with the Kurdish Australian community. 

“Naim is a very social person, not just among the Kurdish community. I would say he is a humanitarian and quite globally.

“He has an affinity with the Kurdish people. In the early eighties, when [former Iraqi president] Saddam [Hussein] was waging warfare against the Kurds, he was one of the Iraqi Arabs that refused to fight against the Kurds. And rather than fight the Kurds, he embraced them and lived amongst them.

“And that is where the affinity started. So he has very close and respectful relationship with the Kurdish community.”

It could have been that disposition that played a role in his arrest when geopolitical tensions became heightened between the UAE and Qatar in 2017. 

Public statements of sympathy towards Qatar were banned on penalty of a 15-year maximum jail term. 

Adil Abbas told the Sydney Morning Herald his brother “spoke about Qatar nicely” and that may not have been well received by authorities in the UAE.

Zirian Fatah said afters months of advocacy, finally Mr Abbas’ supporters got the news they had been hoping for. 

“Each day felt like months. It has been a very tough year and a half. And it has been a very ecstatic feeling since his arrival,” he said.

“It has been amazing. Everyone has been over the moon with happiness.”

‘Put everything in the past’

Adil Abbas told SBS News in May that his brother had told him in phone conversations of his alleged mistreatment in jail. 

“[Naim] was subjected to torture, verbal and physical abuse … and was tricked into signing a false confession,” he said at the time.  

After a night of celebrations, Mr Abbas said he wanted to put that behind him and move forward with his life. 

“I am happy because I am here in Australia. I just want to put everything in the past.”

He said he plans to continue his work as a consultant in the transport sector and is contemplating writing a book about his ordeal. 

“And I maybe write a book about my life because I have a good story to tell.”