BAGHDAD (AP) – A British citizen was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday by an Iraqi court after being tried for smuggling artifacts from one country in a case that has attracted international attention.
A verdict handed down to retired geologist Jim Phyton shocked a court in Baghdad, along with his lawyer. He and his family said the 66-year-old Phyton had no criminal intent.
“I thought the worst case scenario would be a year, with suspension,” Phyton’s lawyer, who was obviously shocked, told The Associated Press.
Saud said Phyton would challenge the verdict.
A German citizen convicted of phytonutrients has no criminal intent in the case and will be released.
Judge Jabir Abd Jabir ruled that, according to a government investigation, Pythagoras had a criminal intention to smuggle the artifacts he had seized and intended to release them into the country.
The lawsuit has garnered international attention as Iraq seeks to open up a new tourism sector. Two men First court appearance On May 15, the prisoners wore yellow uniforms and told the judges that they had not acted with criminal intent and had no idea they might be violating local laws.
Phyton said he “suspected” that the items he collected were ancient fragments, but “I didn’t know about Iraqi law at the time” or that it wasn’t allowed to collect remains. Phyton said that as a geologist, he used to collect fragments as a hobby and had no intention of selling them.
In his defense, Saud said Phyton waited several weeks in custody before he was hired as a lawyer, arguing that this implies the Briton had no idea the weight of the case or the value of the assets found in his property.
The judge, however, ignored Soda’s arguments, reflecting Phyton’s ignorance of Iraqi law and the value of the stolen items. Phyton and German citizen Volker Waldmann were arrested at Baghdad airport on March 20 after airport security found items in their luggage. They were part of a tourist expedition around the ancient places of the country.
Their tour guide, as well as an 80-year-old British citizen and in poor health, died in police custody for reasons unrelated to his arrest. He found more than 20 archaeological fragments on this property.
Phyton’s family was alarmed when she did not arrive on the scheduled flight to Kuala Lumpur on March 20, where she lives with her husband. Later, they learn that Phyton, a well -traveled geologist of oil and gas companies, was taken to a cell at the airport where he is still incarcerated, Phyton’s son. Leila told the AP last month.
Phyton lost her son’s wedding in Malaysia, which took place in early May. Leila then said that in her loss “her heart ached”.
Almost every day, the hope of returning to his father’s house can be seen on his social networks. Nineteen hours before Phyton’s verdict, she posted a photo of her parents celebrating their wedding anniversary. In another, on a family outing, he wrote that he hoped they could join his father on future work.
Frustrated with the UK Foreign Office’s inaction and helping Phyton’s case, his family launched a petition that garnered more than 100,000 signatures. The British diplomatic mission in Baghdad did not comment on its involvement in the case and the British consul in Iraq, who attended a court hearing on Monday, did not leave a comment following the verdict.
Iraqi authorities found 12 fragments of pottery and other remains in Phyton’s possession, all of which were collected as souvenirs, the Phyton family told a group of tourist expeditions to Eridu, the ancient site of Mesopotamia. now Dhikar province. This place is said to be one of the oldest places in this civilization.
However, controversy remains about the items Phyton took. A report from the Iraqi Ministry of Culture says they are more than 200 years old, with no further explanation about their origins. But anything less than 1500 years old has broken it since time immemorial, a period that spans from the beginning of Western civilization to about 450 years ago.
The trial also divides Iraqi public opinion. Some consider the decision fair and argue that Iraq has long been a place of theft by occupiers and foreigners with impunity. Others say Iraq lacks proper area management to inform tourists of the laws.
“Eridu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Iraq and needs a better site management plan,” said Ali Makhzomi, founder of travel company BilWeekend. It is the responsibility of the Iraqi government to do so.
The items were not presented in court. Amir Abdul Razak, an archaeologist in the southern province of Nasriya, said he believes the objects belonging to Phyton date back to BC. Government officials could not be immediately contacted for comment.
Waldmann’s defense team said the German tourist took two pieces for the python, but did not take them. Both men have been charged with smuggling under the country’s antique laws and could face death sentences. However, officials said this was only a remote possibility.
It is unclear whether Phyton can serve his sentence in his hometown. In 2017 Iraq signed a prisoner exchange agreement with the UK
Source: Huffpost
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.