A retired British geologist was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to steal artefacts from Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a recent geology and archaeology tour of the country, Jim Fitton, 66, of Bath, collected 12 stones and shards of broken pottery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Fitton has maintained that he had no idea he was violating Iraqi law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The news left Mr Fitton’s family “absolutely shattered” and “heartbroken.” They pleaded with the government to assist in his release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“For a man Jim’s age, 15 years in an Iraqi prison is equivalent to death,” the family added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, described the sentence as “devastating for Jim and his family.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The Foreign Secretary now has no choice but to intervene at the ministerial level. The Foreign Secretary must communicate with the Iraqi government.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Foreign Office has previously stated that it cannot interfere with another country’s judicial process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 20, Mr Fitton and German national Volker Waldmann were apprehended at Baghdad International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was found not guilty of the same charges as Mr Fitton.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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