UK Geologist Sentenced To 15 Years In Iraq For Smuggling Artifacts - Reports

A court in Iraq sentenced a UK citizen to 15 years in prison for attempting to smuggle archaeological treasures out of the country, Iraqi media reported on Monday

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2022) A court in Iraq sentenced a UK citizen to 15 years in prison for attempting to smuggle archaeological treasures out of the country, Iraqi media reported on Monday.

On March 20, 66-year-old UK geologist James Fitton and 60-year-old German psychologist Volker Waldmann were arrested in Baghdad airport while trying to smuggle 12 Sumerian archeological objects. Fitton told the court on May 22 that he was unaware of the historical value of the objects he collected while visiting two archaeological sites in Dhi Qar province in the south of the country.

Fitton could have been sentenced to death, Iraqi news agency Shafaq reported in late May.

But on Monday, a Baghdad court sentenced him to 15 years in prison, while Waldmann was acquitted, Shafaq said.

Fitton's lawyer intends to appeal the court's decision on the grounds that there was no criminal intent, Sky News reported.

A petition asking the UK cabinet to intervene in the legal process collected more than 280,000 signatures, the broadcaster noted, adding that the British ambassador in Iraq raised the case four times with the Iraqi authorities. However, an Iraqi judge ruled that Fitton had criminal intent and did not consider arguments of Fitton's ignorance of Iraqi law.