A retired British geologist accused of artefact smuggling suspected the items were ancient but had no idea he was breaking Iraqi laws, a court has heard. Jim Fitton, 66, and German tourist Volker Waldmann told judges they had not acted with criminal intent as they appeared in a Baghdad court wearing yellow detainees’ uniforms on Sunday.
Father-of-two Fitton collected 12 stones and shards of broken pottery as souvenirs while visiting a site in Eridu, in Iraq’s south east, as part of an organised geology and archaeology tour. The items were found in the possession of the pair as their group prepared to fly out of Baghdad airport on March 20.
The three-judge panel in Baghdad’s felony court scheduled a second hearing for May 22 and the court must determine whether the defendants had sought to profit by taking the items. Both men could face the death penalty, according to Iraqi law, but it has been suggested such an outcome is unlikely.
