Family of Briton held in Iraq say militias politicised smuggling case
The family of a retired British geologist detained in Iraq on charges of smuggling antiquities say the accusations have been politically manipulated by Iran-backed groups.
Jim Fitton, 66, was arrested in March at Baghdad International Airport, after customs officials found him and a German citizen in possession of pottery fragments from an ancient site in southern Iraq.
Mr Fitton is charged under the country’s antiquities laws, under which he could be given a death sentence. But officials and legal representatives say this is unlikely.
He is waiting for a date to appear in court.
The potential for Iran-backed militias to exploit the situation to shape public opinion against the British government has raised concerns among Mr Fitton’s family and supporters.
“It’s a very politically charged issue for us,” Sam Taskar, Mr Fitton’s son-in-law, told AP. “Anybody with common sense … will understand it’s quite clearly an error.”
Mr Fitton’s family grew worried when he did not arrive on a scheduled flight back to Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur – where he lives with his wife, Sarijah – on March 20.
They later learnt that Mr Fitton, a former geologist for oil and gas companies, had been taken to a holding cell at Baghdad airport.
He is still being detained there, Mr Fitton’s daughter Leila said.
The case attracted attention when, frustrated by perceived inaction by the British Foreign Office, Mr Fitton’s family started a petition that has gathered more than 100,000 signatures.
Family members described the response to the petition as unbelievable and have vowed to fight against the charges.
The British embassy in Baghdad has not commented on its involvement in the case.
In total, 12 fragments of pottery and other shards were found in Mr Fitton’s possession by the Iraqi authorities.
All were collected as souvenirs, Mr Fitton’s family says, during a group tourism expedition to Eridu – an ancient Mesopotamian site, dating back almost 7,500 years, in the modern province of Dhi Qar.
Shortly after Mr Fitton’s arrest, Shiite militia groups published posts on social media that included his passport details. They also accused the British government of attempting to intervene with Iraqi judicial procedures.
In the militia posts, pictures of Mr Fitton were accompanied by images of complete artefacts and sculptures – depictions the family fears will lead the Iraqi public to misinterpret the value of the shards that were in his possession.
Photos of the Eridu site shared by Mr Fitton on the day of the trip show a desert landscape scattered with debris and broken pieces of pottery and stones.
The tour group was accompanied by a representative from Iraq’s Culture Ministry, who did not state the items were valuable and gave the tourists permission to take them as mementos, Mr Taskar said.
Mr Fitton’s lawyer in Baghdad has drafted a proposal under Iraqi law to have the case closed before a trial takes place. But the lawyer requires the assistance of Britain’s Foreign Office to present this to the public prosecutor in Iraq.
The proposal makes the claim that the Briton was a victim of poor guidance. “This is the hope,” Mr Taskar said.
If the case is not thrown out, Mr Fitton is likely to stand trial. A key element of his sentencing would be to establish the value of the goods that were found in his possession.
The law permits the death penalty for those convicted of smuggling valuable artefacts.
Iraqi and British officials say the outcome will depend on the findings of an antiquities committee established to study the shards.
In the meantime, Mr Fitton’s family has no choice but to wait and hope.
“It’s tough to say the least – we are very stressed,” said Leila. “My mum is keeping faith, praying a lot and we are just keeping faith.”