A British man has been jailed for 15 years in Iraq after a court found him guilty of smuggling artefacts out of the country.
Dad-of-two Jim Fitton, 66, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Baghdad court for trying to leave the country with ancient fragments.
Mr Fitton - who could have been executed for the crime - was arrested during his first visit to the country while on a geology and archaeology tour.
German national Volker Waldmann, who was arrested alongside Mr Fitton, was acquitted of the same charges.
Mr Fitton made his first appearance at a Baghdad court in mid-May, alongside Mr Waldmann, but the expected trial did not go ahead and was postponed.
During the preliminary hearing on Sunday 15, Mr Fitton told judges he had not acted with criminal intent after collecting 12 stones, as he said he "suspected" the items he collected were ancient fragments, reveal local reports.
The OAP also collected shards of broken pottery while visiting a site in Eridu, in south east Iraq, and told the court he "didn't know about Iraqi laws" at the time.
Given his past profession, the court heard Fitton was in the habit of collecting such fragments as a hobby and had no intention of selling them on.
His family have said they are "absolutely shattered" by the news of his prison sentence, which they argue is "tantamount" to the death penalty.
Speaking for the whole family, including Mr Fitton's daughter Leila and son Joshua, his son-in-law Sam, 27, said they "are absolutely shattered by this news" and are "still trying to process" the information.
He added: "For a man of Jim’s age, 15 years in an Iraqi prison is tantamount to a death sentence.
"Particularly for such a trivial and dubious crime, a crime that Jim was not even aware of when he perpetrated it.
"We are completely heartbroken that our own best efforts, a strong legal defence and constant campaigning, have led to this outcome.
"We are disappointed, indeed stunned, at our own government’s total lack of action in this case to date.
"We are raising an appeal and will continue to fight for Jim’s freedom, and urge the government to support us in every way possible and to open lines of communication with us at a senior level".
Mr Fitton collected the items as souvenirs while visiting a site in Eridu, in Iraq's south east.
Iraqi officials have said the fragments could be considered as archaeological pieces as they date back more than 200 years.
The Foreign Office has said it cannot interfere with the judicial process of another country and has made clear its opposition to the death penalty.
The Baghdad Criminal Court sentenced Fitton for taking the artefacts from a heritage site in southern Iraq and attempting to transport them out of the country "with criminal intent", according to one judicial source - an offence normally punishable by death under Iraqi law.
Fitton's lawyer said he would appeal the verdict on the grounds that there was no criminal intent.
Responding to his claims during the initial hearing, head judge Jaber Abdel Jabir said: “These places, in name and by definition, are ancient sites.
“One doesn’t have to say it is forbidden.”
It was feared both Waldmann and Fitton could face the death penalty for their actions, however legal experts believe that is unlikely.
The case has gained interest in the UK, and was raised in the House of Commons by Bath MP Wera Hobhouse during an urgent question session last week.
Wera said in a statement: "Jim Fitton is potentially facing the death penalty.
"I urge the minister to do everything they can do to stop this nightmare before it turns into a tragedy."
Fitton's son-in-law Sam, 27, said at the time that the family, who are originally from Bath, were pleased the court seemed to be taking the case and Mr Fitton's defence seriously.
He said: "We had the initial hearing on Sunday where both charges were read and the cross-examination took place - but the rest of the trial was postponed till next week in order to allow us to admit more evidence for Jim's defence.
"It's hard to say it’s good news - we have been optimistic and been let down over and over again throughout this process.
"But we are certainly not disappointed with what happened yesterday - Jim was given the opportunity to defend himself and the court seems to be taking him seriously."
The Mirror has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.
