Lawyers for Irish citizen Yasser Eljuboori say he is not being permitted to leave Iraq and return home to Ireland.

In a statement this morning, his UK legal team said he is now facing two new charges and is due back in court tomorrow.

Speaking through the legal firm, his wife Laura Wickham accused Iraqi authorities of playing a “cruel game” with her husband’s freedom.

“The past week has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me,” she said.

“The initial confusion at Yasser’s disappearance; the terror as I learned the news of his arrest, detention and criminal charges brought against him by the Prime Minister; the relief when he was released and now despair at these latest developments.

“This feels like a cruel game; an ongoing torment playing with Yasser’s freedom.

“Our children miss their dad and I miss my husband.”

Yasser Eljuboori and Laura Wickham. Image: Laura Wickham.

Ms Wickham urged the Iraqi authorities to allow her husband to return home.

“Every additional day and hour that he spends in Baghdad puts him at risk of further bogus charges,” she said.

“I am so grateful for all that the Tánaiste, the Irish Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs are doing to help, and the EU and the UN.

“The next 24 hours are crucial and we must all work together to bring Yasser home.”

Yasser Eljuboori with his wife Laura Wickham. Image: Supplied

Mr Eljuboori lives in Dublin with his wife and their three young children.

He is originally from Iraq and was detained at Baghdad Airport last week after he returned home to visit relatives.

He is a prominent anti-corruption activist who has previously written articles criticising the Iraqi Government.

After he was arrested, his family were told he was being charged with defaming Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani through his anti-corruption posts on social media.

Those charges were dropped last Thursday; however, Mr Eljuboori’s passport was withheld.

He was informed there would be “two to three days of paperwork” to complete before he would be allowed to return home to his family.

Yasser Eljuboori and wife Laura Wickham. Image: Supplied

When he returned to court yesterday to collect his passport and belongings, Mr Eljuboori was informed that he was facing two new charges and would not be permitted to leave.

The new charges have been filed against him by the Chair of Iraq’s National Investment Commission and the Mayor of Baghdad.

His legal team has said the new charges relate to an Iraqi law against publicly insulting public authorities or officials.

They believe that one of the new charges is set to be dropped; however, Mr Eljuboori will have to wait for a court hearing tomorrow to find out what is happening with the second.

Mr Eljuboori’s lawyer in the UK, Caoilfhionn Gallagher said he is being targeted by officials for his campaigning work highlighting corruption in Iraq.

“It is particularly cruel that Mr Eljuboori was informed that all charges were dropped and that he would be going home within days, when in fact new charges were being prepared behind the scenes which would keep him trapped in Baghdad, unable to return home to his family,” she said.

She said authorities were using Iraqi law in a “brutal game of legal whack-a-mole against Mr Eljuboori”, adding that, “as soon as one set of charges is dismissed, another appears”.