Iraq: UK national sentenced to 15 years in prison for smuggling artifacts

A court in Iraq has convicted a British national to 15 years in prison for smuggling artifacts out of the country. The trial also came at a time when the country is looking to boost its tourism.

This week, an Iraqi court sentenced retired geologist Jim Fitton to 15 years in prison on charges of smuggling artifacts out of the country. A German national who was tried with Fitton, Volker Waldmann, was found by the court to have no criminal intent and will be released.

According to Judge Jabir Abd Jabir, picking up the artifacts that are dated over 200 years old in a technical government probe, with the intention of transporting such artifacts out of the country, there was criminal intent on Fitton’s part to smuggle the artifacts.

The judge did not consider the arguments made by Fitton’s lawyer, Thair Soud, of Fitton’s ignorance of Iraqi laws and the value of the items that were picked up.

The case surrounding Fitton and Waldmann caught international attention at a time when Iraq is looking to boost its tourism.

Iraqi authorities found 12 fragments of pottery and other shards in Fitton’s possession, all of which were collected as souvenirs, according to Fitton’s family. Soud said he plans to appeal Fitton’s sentence immediately.

It remains to be determined whether Fitton would serve his prison sentence in his home country, which is possible due to the prisoner transfer treaty between the UK and Iraq.

Last month, the deadlock in Iraq’s political scene continued as lawmakers were still unable to form a government. Eight months since the country held its parliamentary elections as the political elites are still unable to come to an agreement.

Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Sadrist Movement holds the majority grouping from the October elections occupying 79 out of 329 seats, has been working to form a coalition but has yet to make progress.

This is due to the obstruction posed by the Iranian-backed Coordination Framework Alliance, the political umbrella of the Shia Popular Mobilization Forces militia.

The CFA has boycotted parliamentary votes for a new president multiple times based on an agreement with the Sadrists that the CFA has a say on who is nominated for the presidency was needed first.