An Australian man who spent five years trapped in a legal nightmare in the Middle East says Turnbull government MP Stuart Robert put his life at risk by making a controversial speech defending a property developer.

Breaking years of silence about his ordeal, Marcus Lee has waded into the debate about Mr Robert's links to development firm Sunland, as Labor called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to "back or sack" the embattled MP.

An angry Mr Lee took aim at Mr Robert after the backbencher attempted to justify a November 2012 speech which Fairfax Media this week revealed was partly written by Sunland lobbyist and Liberal Party donor Simone Holzapfel.

"While Mr Robert states he spoke with multiple sources before giving his speeches under parliamentary privilege at no time did he contact me or my representatives to get a balanced view," Mr Lee told Fairfax Media.



"Given the gravity of my situation in the Middle East, and as an Australian citizen, you would think he would have done this at a minimum.



"In making his speeches in parliament Mr Robert not only denied me the presumption of innocence, while a serious criminal case was before Middle East courts, but in doing so he also put me and my wife's life at risk with total disregard."