- An Iraqi court sentenced a British man to 15 years in prison for attempting to smuggle historic treasures out of the country.
- James Fitton, 66, was arrested for bringing small bits of antique pottery in his luggage at Baghdad International Airport.
- German Wolker Waldmann was convicted of the same charges.
An Iraqi court sentenced a British man to 15 years in prison on Monday for attempting to smuggle historic treasures out of the country, according to an international news agency reporter and legal sources.
In March, Iraqi officials arrested James Fitton, 66, for bringing small bits of antique pottery in his luggage at Baghdad International Airport.
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As per one court source, Fitton was condemned by the Baghdad Criminal Court for stealing items from a cultural site in southern Iraq and attempting to transfer them out of the country “with criminal intent,” an offence punishable by death under Iraqi law.
Fitton’s attorney stated he would appeal the verdict because there was no evidence of criminal intent.
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Detained alongside Fitton for stealing pottery fragments, Wolker Waldmann, a German man, was convicted of the same charges.
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