British geologist facing death penalty in Iraq for ‘smuggling broken pottery’ ‘We have days to save him before sentencing,’ family say

22 comments

  5. Of course he won’t get the death penalty. But he is apparently an archaeologist. If he thought the items had no significance or historical value why was he taking twelve of them? He has clearly tried to steal items he knows are significant, he should now face the consequences of doing so.

  7. Hmm… Some countries have really strict laws and it’s a good idea to steer clear of breaking them, even if they seem really inconsequential to you.

  8. If it was a genuine theft of artefacts (nobody here knows lol), the authorities there don’t go crazy themselves and just give a slap on the wrist or the British Government can ask them to chill out. It’s not exactly good for Iraq’s reputation as a tourist (obviously experienced tourists, not the tomatoes who go to Ibiza every year to get liver poisoning/skin cancer) destination to have this turn into anything awful.

  10. Does anyone have this without a paywall? A lot of people are throwing around mad rhetoric in this thread like “he knew what he was getting in to” etc and I’d like to actually read the article about this.

    It’s the death penalty being offered up here, and regardless of whether or not it’s likely they’ll follow through on it I though we as a country thought that was pretty abhorrent.

  13. I certainly don’t support executing him, but his actions are not innocent. Of course, you don’t take fragments for an archaeological site.

    I’m sure this is in part political as the looting of artifacts especially by the British remains a hot issue in Iraq as in many countries whose cultural heritage was taken to London. Though it looks like a German was arrested at the same time.

  15. Death penalty seems harsh. But is it really so? The text of the law appears to contradict itself:

    “Whoever exported or intended to export, deliberately, an antiquity, from Iraq, shall be punishable with execution.

    Whoever deliberately exported a heritage antiquity from Iraq, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding 100,000 I.D. (Iraqi Dinars).”

    The latter seems more reasonable.

  17. So much for *improving* the country with occupation.
    They’ve also sniped protestors, not much has changed since Saddam, other than some major profits for the MIC and a load of terrorists to make more profit from fighting them.

  18. I doubt he’d get the death penalty for this. That’s mostly used for terrorists.

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    Most likely he will get a harsh sentence and it will be commuted at the request of the British government.

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    Still smuggling broken pottery will be a sore topic for much of the world which was plundered by the British.

  19. This is horribly reminiscent of the case involving Gene LePere who was sold a couple of stone heads by a street peddler (street peddlers being everywhere and usual) before she was due to head home from a holiday in Turkey. They were very similar to others she’d bought from other sellers. It transpired though that the last two she was sold were valuable antiques.

    She spent a terrible period of time in a Turkish prison while lawyers and the Consulate consistently failed to have her exonerated for an innocent mistake. Unfortunately little remains about it except a book that she herself wrote and a TV movie based on the story called “Passport to Terror” (or “Dark Holiday” depending on which side of the Atlantic pond you are). It wasn’t a death sentence (more like the threat of a ‘for life’ sentence in terrible conditions) but the circumstances leading to it are so very similar. There are countries on this planet where I don’t think I’d dare bring back any souvenir.

    Given this chap ordinarily lives in Malaysia, I wonder how much effort the UK government will go to in order to to negotiate his position?

  20. I thought we were against the removal or artefacts from their country of origin? Everyone is quick to slag of the British Museum but here’s a country being proactive and you’re all complaining. /s

    This is barbaric and horrible. I hope we intervene but he knew the law he was breaking (I assume?).

  21. Little to do with his supposed ‘crime’ of trying to salvage history, and everything to do with a country walking backwards into the religious dark ages and its political positioning against its perceived enemies. Lets hope our somewhat useless government can get him the hell out of there.

  22. What is wrong with people? There is no way a country can be that backward and barbaric still.

    Edit: WHY ARE SOME COMMENTS SIDING WITH THE STUPID LAW!?

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