Detained geologist ‘heartbroken’ at missing daughter’s wedding

A retired British geologist at risk of being executed overseas is "heartbroken" at missing his daughter's wedding celebrations, his family said.

Jim Fitton, 66, was sent photographs of Leila and her husband Sam Tasker's festivities as he continues to be detained in Iraq over artefact smuggling allegations. Ms Fitton, 31, and Mr Tasker, 27, held a small ceremony-whichwasrestrictedto close friends and British family duetocovid-intheirhomecity of Bath, Somerset, last August.

A larger bash with TV and film art department freelancer Ms Fitton's extended family in Malaysia, where her father and mother Sarijah also live, took place on Friday and Sunday.

But Mr Fitton was forced to miss out - with his family expecting court proceedings againsthimtobegininiraqthis week. He was held after collecting stones and shards of broken pottery as souvenirs while visiting a site in Eridu, in the country's south-east, during an organised geology and archaeology tour in March, according to his family. They said the items were later judged to be artefacts under Iraqi law and the charge levelled at Mr Fitton states "whoever exported or intended to export, deliberately, an antiquity, from Iraq, shall be punishable with execution".

The family has renewed its appeal for Foreign Office ministers to help free the father-oftwo, with a petition collecting more than 124,000 signatures.

Supporters have also written letters to MPS in a bid to increase the pressure on the Foreign Office.

Mrtaskersaidmrfitton'sson Joshua filled the roles required for the wedding ceremonies in Malaysia.

Mrtaskersaidofhisfather-inlaw:"hewasn'tabletogiveleila away; her brother had to kind of step up and give her away. He wasobviouslyheartbrokenand just sent us a message saying, 'You all look great. Best of luck.

All my love to you all.'"

He said Mr Fitton, "as he has been doing throughout", has been "putting on a brave face and trying not to make it about him, really, which is antitheticaltothepointbecauseallwe're thinking about is him".

He added: "We sent him some photosacrossandheremarked thatthehouselookedamazing, because Leila's mum put a load of work into making the house look nice and getting the flowersandalltherestofitarranged and set up.”