Retired British geologist Jim Fitton and his wife Sarijah
(Picture: PA Media)The family of a retired British geologist have said they are “shattered” and “heartbroken” by the news he has been jailed by an Iraqi court for 15 years and vowed to keep fighting for his freedom.
Jim Fitton was sentenced at a court in Baghdad on Monday for attempting to smuggle artefacts out of the country, despite arguing he had no idea he was breaking Iraqi laws.
Mr Fitton, 66, who is originally from Bath, had collected 12 stones and shards of broken pottery during a recent geology and archaeology tour of the country.
Iraqi officials said the items could be considered as archaeological pieces as they date back more than 200 years.
The father-of-two was arrested at Baghdad airport on March 20 alongside a German tourist Volker Waldmann after airport security discovered the items in their luggage.
Fitton’s son-in-law Sam Tasker, 27, told PA news agency the verdict was “tantamount to a death sentence”.
He also lambasted the UK Government for what he said was their “total lack of action in this case to date”.
“We are absolutely shattered by this news. For a man of Jim’s age, 15 years in an Iraqi prison is tantamount to a death sentence,” Mr Tasker said.
“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,” he added.
“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.”
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, said: “This is clearly a devastating outcome for Jim and his family.
“There is now no other option but for the Foreign Secretary to intervene at a ministerial level.
“The Foreign Secretary must make representations to the Iraqi government.
“This is yet another example of the British Government presiding over a case of a British national in trouble abroad and they have failed to take action.”
Ms Hobhouse is expected to raise the case as a matter of urgency.
During the same hearing, Mr Waldmann was found not to have criminal intent in the case and will be released.
Mr Fitton’s sentence appeared to have shocked those in the court, including his defence lawyer.
“I thought the worst case scenario would be one year, with suspension,” Mr Fitton’s lawyer Thair Soud, visibly shocked, told the Associated Press.
Judge Jabir Abd Jabir found that by picking up the items and intending to transport them out of the country, Fitton had criminal intent to smuggle them.
The case has received international attention at a time when Iraq hopes to boost its nascent tourism sector.
A petition started by his family has garnered more than 100,000 signatures.
Mr Waldman’s defence team said the German tourist had been carrying the pieces for Fitton but that he did not pick them up from the site.
