Jim Fitton: Briton facing death penalty in Iraq ‘did not know he had broken law’

The Independent says a retired British geologist accused of smuggling historic items out of Iraq who is facing the death penalty has said he did not know he had broken the law.

Jim Fitton, 66, took 12 stones and shards of broken pottery he had found at an archaelogical site in Eridu.

He appeared alongside German national Volker Waldmann in a Baghdad court where he insisted to a three-judge panel he had not acted with criminal intent.

Mr Fitton said he had “suspected” the items he had collected were ancient fragments, but insisted he “at the time didn’t know about Iraqi laws”, or that taking the shards was not permitted.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jim-fitton-iraq-death-penalty-b2079596.html

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